Diluculo á Nephili
by RockSteady101
Summary: Post AOD: The revival of an ancient biblical race, older than time itself, threatens a final dawn but with the aid of a familiar ex-legionnaire and the will to finish what she thought was already over can Lara stop the complete decimation of humanity?
1. Retrace

Andel peered dryly down at his dead colleague, no pity for the unfortunate soul strewn awkwardly inside a pool of his own blood, branched out like crimson rivers in the gaps between the floor tiles. His death had been a quick and painful one judging by the wide eyed expression and gaping mouth that glared back through his fractured respiratory mask, one of the inmates had obviously staged an escape and decided a mauling was in order. Andel shivered, not due to fear but the freezing cold blowing through the underground Asylum, the root of the subterranean breeze fluttering his blue biohazard suit unknown. Curious, he prodded at the corpse with his Mag Vega, hoping to roll it over and understand the source of such blood loss, and when he successfully did so he wished otherwise.

"_What the...?_"

The upper part of his back flesh had been savagely torn open, revealing a cascade of layered pink-red tissue and the axis of his spine. The outside had been gnawed somewhat by what appeared to be human teeth, judging by the circular rows of marks in the paling skin, whatever had decided to feed upon him wasn't particularly precise on execution method, looking like it had swung some sort of machette to his back and sliced it through to reveal something edible to it's tastes.

Finished with the exhibition he decided to prod his weapon further again and roll him back over to his front, pushing him with a splash into his fluids. Something made a tap on the tiles further back in the corridor, causing him to pivot on his heel and train his machine gun on the double doors at the far end in a flash, however, nothing was there. With a relieved exhale he spun back round, strapping the gun to his kevlar as he kneeled beside the corpse, gloved hands wavering nervously before his blood soaked uniform, in a burst of courage he reached into his breast pocket, removed a thick leather wallet and rose, shaking the offending hand in disgust. He composed himself shortly before raising the wallet to eye level, popping open the clip and letting the outer lip flop open to reveal its contents. Andel pouted almost childishly as he gazed blankly at the few koruna stuffed within the otherwise empty wallet, but nevertheless he pocketed it, giving the corpse a slight dig in the rib with his boot for not rewarding him as handsomely as he'd wished. A strange half smile on his face, Andel began to venture a little further down the hallway, before stalling, overcome with a dreaded feeling that someone, or something, was behind him...

...but with the removal of the safety and the shot of a bullet, he didn't even get the chance to find out, crumpling to the floor in sprays of blood. The handgun was lowered, specked with blood from the shot, wisps of smoke swimming up from the barrel lightly. A look of contempt was shot down at Andels' fresh corpse through dark sunglasses, fiercer than the bullet that killed him.

Lara slipped the M-V9 into its holster, eyes still fixated on the soldiers corpse at her feet in sheer disgust, before she removed her sunglasses and dropped them down to the tiles beside Andel before proceeding down the dank corridor ahead. The sick-olive colour scheme of the surrounding Asylum to uninviting for her to investigate, Lara decided to simply find a way out of the complex, but for the time being she'd catalogue her previous steps mentally, as the pen she had been using to make notes in Werners diary lay somewhere between Eckhardt's Lab and this institution she wandered amidst. After decimating the Sleeper and leaving Karel under tonnes of rubble that had rained down from the overload of energy from the revival process' reversal, she somehow managed to keep consciousness and stagger back into the arena the Boaz creature had claimed as her combat pit. When Lara had finally reached the lower levels of the arena all she found was a pool of fresh blood, and within it was a familiar strange discus weapon, leading her to believe the life fluid it was bathed in was that of it's enigmatic owner. When her curiosity led her to lifting it up, it sprung (literally) to life in her hands, 5 titanium blades shooting out from it's moulded edges, glowing fiery orange in the dim pit. The force of the occult weapon in her hand span her around briefly before dragging her off into the darkness of an unused industrial storage warehouse, which the glaives auburn aura helped to illuminate for her.

After about an hour or so travelling through the dust and cobwebs of the drafty warehouses, untouched for what felt like 50 or more years she reached one of the staff areas of the Asylum she was now exploring, which was littered with both human waste and humans themselves, not pleasing to any of her senses. She'd gained an inkling as she investigated the dirty hallways and blood smeared padded rooms that the owner of the glaive that dragged her on a tour through the Strahov had played a dab hand in the mass of dead bodies scattered in each and every sector she encountered.

"_So, while I was suffocating in a bloody airlock he decided to go for target practice in the local loonie bin?_" Lara thought to herself irritably, pushing open a rusted security gate into a corridor identical to the last few.

The mysterious glaive had ceased it's gravitational pull a few minutes ago, and Lara was left to guide herself out of the maze that was the murky Asylum of her own accord, the disc obviously disconnected to it's masters signal, so she'd stuffed it into her backpack. Completely sure of herself and what was what, Lara continued deeper into the hall, now illuminated with glaring red flashes from cherry lights overhead, their warnings unclear. Whilst her eyes fixed on the bloody hand prints on the walls and general horror of her current location, her mind couldn't help but wander back to her temporary accomplice, Mr. Trent..._How had the battle with Boaz went? Was he ok? Where had he gone? Why did he leave his...disc thing?_

She was more than certain that he was alright, positively. However, if he was under any sort of ailment one of his ever so handy telekinetic-supernatural powers would keep him in condition for a while, but there was more than two pints or so of blood back in the arena...sieving itself through the circular grated floor into the watery aquaduct it bottled securely. Shaking her head, causing her train of thought to crash, Lara made a sharp turn left at the abrupt end of the hallway, pushing through a set of heavy blue double doors, she stopped dead. 20 yards away from her, as shocked as she was, was another Strahov soldier, dressed in the same blue uniform but lacking the gasmask.

It was more awkward than dangerous to Lara, as they were both just looking at each other, wondering who would make the first move, a choice to which he accepted by ripping off the Viper SMG strapped to his back and aiming it professionally in a flash, he fired. Lara reacted equally quickly as the shots rang out, pushing up her arms and falling back into a bridge and gracefully swung her leg up into a kick over, all the while reaching for her holster to equip her Dart SS, when she was composed from her bullet dodging acrobatics she fired hastily two quick shots.

The first skimmed his shoulder narrowly, whilst the second more lucky shot pierced the fabric of his suit and jagged into the skin underneath, that of his neck. The tranquilliser drained into his stream, and with the surge of instant pain he reached for his neck, gargling as he slumped against the wall, sliding down it onto the floor and into unconsciousness.

Lara threw the now empty weapon behind her with a clatter and strolled casually over to the slowly fading body, kneeling beside him as his eyes finally fell into slumber. After checking if he wasn't bluffing she pulled him from the wall and lay him out flat on the tiles, rubbing her hands together expectantly. Lara began to rifle through the pouches attached to his kevlar and belt, but aside boiled sweets, health and safety staff forms and loose change she found nothing of use, she began to check his large canvas hip pack, where she was rewarded with a tubular key, with the word 'ELEVATOR' etched into it in Czech and some ammo for his Viper, which she decided to take despite leaving him with the weapon.

Lara rose to notice that this hallway was slightly different from the identical twin corridors and pathways she had encountered thus far, it was more brown than the green she had been walking through previously. However, she wasn't appreciative that it wasn't due to different paint, it was just dirty from years, maybe even centuries of neglect, the smell was overpowering yet it had only just hit her with it's force. Lara mentally gagged as she descended down the winding hallway, peering through the small square windows on the doors at each side, all locked and all dark within, whatever had happened to all the inmates, it was widespread, and she doubted that Kurtis would've went on such a mass killing spree.

Lara pushed open another set of white double doors and looked into the gloomy space within, it appeared to be a reception. To her right was a glass enclosure containing some simple equipment on the inside, some seats and a table sat at the far right beside a questionable water dispenser. Lara was in luck however as a rusting elevator door lightly shone in the weak light of an ageing bulb on the left wall beside some decayed house plants, she smiled as she approached it.

On her way over to the lift doors she stopped dead when her boots slapped wetly against laminate wood, she looked down to a puddle of blood, eyes following the trail to a broken vent on the floor borders which to her slight surprise had an arm extending out of it. Cautiously, Lara bent down to have a closer look.

The arm was wrapped in ragged white clothes, a plastic tag was clipped around their wrist, with untidy scribbles on it, she assumed they were a patient.

Lara's fingers drummed in the air as she cautiously reached forward to touch the hand, and when she did she gasped as it grasped her fingers in it's blind icy grip. Lara jumped with fright, wrenching back her hand and slamming her boot down on the writhing fingers of the distressed patient, watching as the hand snaked back into the vent, almost feral noises emitting from the black of the ducts. Warily watching the vent as she sidestepped, Lara stalled at the elevator, reaching into her pocket and producing the key she'd obtained from the soldier in the previous hallway. Searching the metal border of the sealed doors she found a circular slot, and inserted the key, retracting it with a satisfied smile as the lift hummed to life, the doors slid open to reveal a set of glass doors to the inside carriage, they slid open smoothly and she stepped in.

Despite the dingy exterior the elevator was actually rather hi-tech, similar to most of the Strahov excluding the horrific Asylum. Lara inspected the touchscreen pad beside the sealed glass doors of the inner carriage, the LCD screen began to type up information and data for her-

_Location: Sub-3rd Floor - The Sanitarium_

_Destination: ..._

_Sub-6th Floor - Aquatic Research Area_

_Sub-5th Floor - Vault Excavation Site_

_Sub-4th Floor - Maximum Containment Area_

_Sub-1st Floor - Biological Research Facility_

_Ground - Warehouses (Lower)_

_1st Floor - Warehouses (Upper)_

-Lara recalled that she'd entered the Strahov through the warehouses, so she tapped the screen choice for ground floor, it processed and the pad beeped with approval, the elevator hummed to life and began to ascend.

Lara closed her eyes and leaned against the cool steel wall of the carriage, happy to be travelling speedily upwards, away from the nights' insanity. Before she knew it the elevator had swiftly reached her stop, she opened her eyes and stepped out of the glass doors and out into the warehouse she had entered the complex through, the doors slid shut behind her. Lara raised her M-V9, letting the current clip slide out onto the floor with a clatter as she shoved a fresh one in and reloaded, proceeding to skulk stealthily into the airy drafts of the freezing warehouse. In the safe shadows of a massive industrial locker Lara peered around the warehouse, the metal catwalks on the upper level were empty, and nobody was around on the base, she was thankfully alone.

She slid out of her hidden position and jogged over to the shelves of huge steel piping, noticing how pitch black it was outside through the windows, she'd only taken a few hours to reach the warehouses of the complex once again from her entering the building at midnight. "A job well done..." Lara muttered to herself dryly before slipping by the pipes and leaping down into the Van area, a sting shooting up her ankles as she rose from her clumsy landing. It took her seconds to realise that one of the nearby doors was unlocked due to the freezing cold drafts surrounding the courier vans she stood amongst, she started to walk for the door but soon found herself running, her mind unaware of how much she wanted to escape the building, Lara burst through the green metal doorway, right out into the cold winter air. It was at that exact moment that she realised just how overly cold it was, and how underdressed she seemed in a crop-top and shorts, faltering down onto her knees in the biting snow of the alleyway. Sucking in the icy air around her was a pleasure as she composed her shocked body into stance, and stumbled senselessly towards the sound of traffic in the nearby streets...


	2. Reparation

Her toes shriveled up within her socks, feet thoroughly soaked by the metled snow seeping into her boots as she padded slowly up the dark alleyway, hugging herself meekly. It was only as she was taking those first few steps away from the ajar door she'd used to vacate the Strahov that the pain she had tried desperately to keep at bay started to release excruciating effects on her, but she pushed on, keeping her balance in slow crunching steps in the ankle deep snow.

"_Just keep going Lara, you'll be fine...just keep going. At a girl._" Lara thought encouragingly to herself, her stomach gripped by invisible fingers ripping her open as she padded along.

All the while she was aware of an overpowering odour throughout the alleyway, similar to grease but with a more of a fetid stench, like road kill. And then, suddenly, in a flash the darkness was illuminated with the swing of a door a few feet in front of her. Lara strafed back, whipping her M-V9 forward as a figure appeared and threw something out of the doorway with a splash into the snow. Lara concealed her weapon and mentally mocked herself in realisation, the grubby chef in front of her retracted his bucket when he saw an obviously surprised Lara to his right, offering her a polite mumble of apology in Czech through rotted teeth as he pulled the fire door of the kitchen closed behind him. Lara gave herself a small smile as she continued along, her pain somehow less obvious.

Careful to overstep the throwaways of the restaurant, a puddle of blood and fish heads. Lara exhaled in relief as she reached the end of the alleyway, briefly stopping to unstrap her holsters from her belt and thighs and stuff them with her M-V9 into her backpack, before stepping out into the main street.

It was a cross between an English council estate and a war struck Iraqi village, she was definitely not in the good side of town, a smile touched her lips as she headed down the pavement. She hadn't noticed the boarded up windows and doors, burnt out cars and debris dusted streets when Luddick escorted her to the Strahov, she couldn't remember if she was sleeping or plotting at the time, but this was unholy land and she was no pilgrim, she'd have to keep her wits about her.

Lara inspected the graffitied signs above the blacked out windows she strolled by, only able to make out _novinář_ and _jídelna _amidst the spray paint, which translated as _newsagents_ and _cafe_ if her Czech served her correctly. The road itself was basic dead, the odd car drove by, unnervingly for Lara usually stopping to inspect her, to which she would shoot a dark look into the dimly lit interiors, smiling warmly to herself as the car would speed up a little down the road. Apart from herself there was no foot traffic on either side of the road, which made her feel a bit more comfortable to say the least. If she had to, conbat was no matter of concern, but her aching body decided for her that it wasn't in her best interests.

Either due to the baltic cold or the aforementioned agony Lara released a hearty cough, spluttering several times before looking down at the hand she had covered her mouth with, caked in spatters of blood from her chesty fit. "Great, just what I need, internal bleeding." Lara grumbled roughly, wiping her hand on her black crop top. She crossed the road with no need to check for traffic, boots crunching on shards of glass and wood in the slushy snow. Ahead of her on this side of the road she could either go straight ahead into what looked like the silhouettes of an industrial estate in the fluorescent streetlights, or alternatively she could turn right into another equally deprived neighbourhood street ahead, she decided on the latter.

Hugging herself tightly once again to absorb what little heat she could scrounge from her own body, she turned the corner and continued down the new road, a wave of relief falling across her as just a few hundred yards ahead on the opposite side of the road was a hospital, a very strange looking hospital at that. It just didn't fit, amidst common shops and flats sat a hospital in amidst a main street. From the outside it looked like an american style movie theatre, with an extension over the box office (or glass fronted entrance in this case) partially covered in eroding plastic sheeting. Nevertheless it would have to do, her stomach deciding for her in powerful pangs of agony that almost caused her to keel over. She started a light jog over to the building, hoping over an uncovered steaming manhole in the street, pushing into the grubby hospital as her hands reached the glass doorway.

The smell of shit and vomit in the air, the damp forming wet mossy sponge on the ceiling and the blood stained walls instantly made Lara wonder if she'd accidentally wandered back into The Sanitarium, however the less than happy-go-lucky nurse that nudged by her in the dingy reception told her otherwise. She inspected the room as she walked towards the reception counter the nurse now stood behind, to her left was some rows of chairs, none occupied – all stained. In-between them and the counter was a shut doorway, it's window sealed by a reflective sticker for privacy, that being the lone ward to her assumption. She stalled at the plastic counter, leaning against it to remove some of the pain she had hidden furtively beneath a calm expression, the receptionist looked up at her.

"Dobry' den." the Nurse muttered less-than-politely, Lara repeated her phrase warmly, causing the dirty looking woman to smile, obviously not accustom to a nice visitor. "Er..._let's see here_...mluvite..anglicky?" Lara mumbled, trying to recall the Czech for "Do you speak English?", the nurse nodded. "...basic, but yes, me do.", Lara smiled at her attempts and watched her open up a register book. "Name?"- Lara quickly shot out an alias -"Sienna Harris". She nodded and noted down her idea of the spelling of it. "What...what be wrong problem?" the nurse asked, obviously unsure of her pronuniation, Lara patted her exposed stomach. "Very painful- she punched a fist into her gloved palm -punched in fight." Lara said, watching the nurse note this down, closing the book and looking up. "Payment to be done after treatment, this ok?" the nurse explained, Lara nodded, grinning inwardly at the fact she'd obviously get herself some unprofessional treatment for free if she slipped out unnoticed later. She was pointed to the seats, she'd only just got comfortable in the wet plastic when she'd been called through into the ward, the rest was a blank memory to her as she'd been lay down in a chair in a side room and amidst some Czech mumbles from a bald doctor put under heavy sedation, iron lids plunged.

-

_She raised a Vector-R35 to his outstretched hand, brown eyes flaring in a new found understanding and increased rage, Lara stabbed him with a glare. _

"_You killed Von Croy?"  
_

_Karel withdrew his hand, concealing it into a fist with around the blue insignia on his palm. He raised both arms and faced upward, as a green fire overcame his being, an aura trailed behind him as he physically flew off of the ground and circled the metallic fortress around Lara._

_"Stupid mortal, so be it!"_

-

Lara's suddenly weightless lids and body flew up out of the reclined seat she had been sedated in, hand reaching instinctively for her empty holster, memories other than the one she had just dreamt came flooding back. "_Handgun and holsters are in your backpack, you're in a hospital, you've been treated, and damn do you feel better!_". Lara smiled to herself, laying back again, taking in the room around her. Apart from the chair she sat in, an aged chest of drawers, and a shelve of multicoloured medical bottles along the wall it was surprisingly empty and understocked, even for a backstreet hospital, she sighed and got comfortable again, before she realised.

Her backpack felt lighter, infact, her backpack felt almost empty, no wonder she could lie right back in the chair. Whipping herself up whilst making a similar notion of removing the backpack from her shoulders, Lara leapt off of the chair and spilled the few contents onto the seat. Her holsters and some Viper SMG clips, two packs of Health Pills and a chocolate bar...her M-V9 was no longer there, Lara frowned in confusion.

"Strange, but something else is missi- Lara gasped, dropping the items in her hands in surprised realisation -The glaive!" she exclaimed to the room, gathering up the items scattered on the floor and stuffing them all into her backpack again except her holsters with haste, she strapped them to her thighs and belt before picking up her bag and walking over to the drawers, deciding to raid them of anything useful.

"_Was it him?_" Lara pondered to herself mentally, stuffing lengths of bandages and cloth, two bottles of drinking water and a roll of surgical tape into her backpack and then stepping for the door, stopping shortly. The corner of her eye caught something, it was a tan trench coat on a clothes peg, most likely one of the staffs...just her size. She unclasped the backpack in her hand and stuffed it in, glad to find something that would keep the cold out later, she pulled the door open whilst pulling the backpack on and stepped out into the dim ward. It was just as she'd expected, a long hall with doors on either side and a fire escape at the far end, the door with the secretive mirror sticker which led to the entrance and reception the next on her left. She suddenly became aware of how eerily silent the ward was, no screaming and no staff walking around, she shrugged. She took a swift step to the reception area door and reached out to turn the handle, her hand wavered at the grip, suddenly aware of the commotion on the other side, she pulled against the wall.

"DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH!?" a thick accented voice bellowed, causing someone to whimper loudly in the opposite room, Lara somehow recognised both voices, she listened intently.

"I...I do...y-yes." said who she recognised as the receptionist, sounding terrified, it was then Lara's stomach dropped. Finally she recognised the mysterious German accent, she'd only seen him a few times in the last 24 hours but she definitely knew who it was, the last remaining member of the Cabal, Marten Gunderson, she pressed her ear to the door again. "Look at this picture, do you recognise the woman?" he demanded, causing Lara to curse under her breath expectantly, furthermore when the receptionist stuttered that she did indeed recognise the photo. Lara quickly thought out her limited options, she could run out guns blazi-

- " Shit! _He_ took my gun..." she muttered to herself, obviously she'd have to go for the fire door, and a lot sooner than she thought when she picked up on the receptionist saying "...the first door on the right...". With the thud of approaching boots she kicked off of the wall and into a sprint, running down the long hallway for the fire door, suddenly the door she had been listening in on burst open, she shot a glance over her shoulder.

Marten Gunderson gave her a less than warm look when their eyes met, and the Desert Ranger in his hand wasn't as welcoming either. The receptionist in his other iron grip was paling by the minute as she served as his tour guide to Lara's vacated room, gripping to the register in her arms for dear, white knuckled life. Lara turned and picked up her sprint, suddenly aware of how much her earlier pain had subsided. It was then he opened fire, the speed of the bullets whirring by making her thankfully unaware of how close they were to impacting her, creating polka dot marks on the fire door ahead, Lara shot one more glance over and grinned when Marten threw his empty magnum to the floor in a shower of profanities, but her eyebrow hitched in confusion at his next movement.

He span the receptionist around to face him and ripped the thick register book out of her hands, before throwing it down the hallway at Lara, hoping to catch her with a heavy enough blow to make her falter. Lara's wide and confused eyes watched the imitation leather book spin by her shoulder, scratching her cheek roughly and skid to a halt before the fire door ahead. Lara burst through a wall of loose, fluttering pages, swatting them away as she broke through. She then exhaled, gracefully twisting into a shoulder crunch and breaking through the sealed fire exit, falling face flat into a damp pile of snow, Lara lifted her head and quickly mapped out the area and her possible escape routes.

She was in a small square courtyard, completely boxed in by the surrounding buildings. To her left and straight ahead were bricked sides of buildings, however, to her right was a high fence into an alleyway, and further on into the streets, unhelpfully it was trimmed with barbed wire. The wall in front of her had a rusty ladder, leading to the roof. bolted onto it, dangerously encased in ice, but it was the only possibly way she could escape. She pulled herself up, shooting a brief look back at Gunderson, who was thundering towards her, boots slapping across the plastic flooring. Lara shot her head back round and plowed through the snow, flying for the ladder, her outstretched arm barely gripping the treacherous icy rungs.

Lara began to ascend the ladder as swiftly as she could, feet often slipping straight off of the poles as she made her way to the centre of the ladder. After much faltering she made it, and watched grimly as Gunderson trundled through the snow below towards the ladder. Lara angled her body to face the right side of the courtyard, the high fence below her now, she began to swing her arms and body too and fro, preparing herself.

As soon as Gundersons' gloved hands squelched wetly against the lower half of the ladder Lara assumed she was ready, and threw herself through the air, leaping towards the opposite side of the fence. Lara bit her lip as she fell, hoping her booted feet wouldn't catch on the barbs, but sighed in relief before landing raggedly in the slushy snow of the opposing side of the fence. Lara pulled up into a stagger, turning to look at Gunderson, who was now growling and stomping back towards the hospital in a flurry of "SHIIIIT!"'s, Lara smiled warmly, sliding off her backpack to remove the trench coat and shove it on, before spinning on her foot and jogging speedily out of the alleyway in a beat of splashes, slipping her backpack back on.

Even though she'd evaded Marten for the time being, she'd still have to make a getaway, as he was backtracking through the hospital and out to go for her again, so she started to run further up the road the hospital was on, taking a turn left at the end of it. Lara gave herself a mental pat on the head, she's reached one of the more tourist friendly (_the aforementioned word probably being a stretch_) streets in that particular district of Prague, as there were about seven hotels and bed-breakfasts, she began down the road again. Under to much threat of Gunderson catching up, Lara decided to enter the first one on her side of the road, named, for reasons beyond her, Hotel _dřevo_. Lara pushed open the cracked glass door and entered the grubby lobby, trying to zip up her coat but upon realising it was broken tying the waist belt of it loosely around her. She then smiled to herself, the older woman behind the reception was sound asleep, tapping a large kitchen knife lightly against the wooden desk as she snored, obviously informing Lara that the hotel wasn't exactly a security compound, or a welcoming business front.

Lara stalked towards the desk, careful not to wake the wispy haired, knife wielding owner, she reached carefully over her head to a room cabinet, creaking it open and pulling out one of the room keys from the shelves. Lara noted the room number and swiftly moved off into the corridor on her left, avoiding creaky floorboards and a balding, wide-eyed man sat huddled on the floor outside his room, apparently amazed by the smell of his fingers.

She eventually found Room B3, she unlocked it and stepped into the unlit box, shutting and locking the flimsy door behind her, she flicked the light on and burst out laughing. It was just a single mattress on the rug and newspaper covered floorboards, with an empty industrial crate in the far-right corner, decorated with a TV and a lamp, Thankfully there was a chair beside the homemade table, a swivel one which was bursting at the seams, decorating the floor around it with it's spongy yellow padding. Lara sighed, pushing the bolt of the door as far as it would go before walking over to the chair, draping her coat over the back and falling down into it. Lara craned her neck back and placed her arms on the rests, lightly spinning the chair round, causing the rusty base to creak as she did, but she heard something else as her boots pushed off the floor.

Lara looked down at the leaf of paper stuck wetly to the sole of her boot, she peeled it off delicately and inspected it, smiling in realisation, it was one of the pages from the hospital register Gunderson had tried to strike her with, and it was the most recent page, her name still at the bottom. Lara began to look through the list of names out of sheer boredom, appreciative of the vast diversity and beauty of some of the Czech names, but her eyes stopped curiously at the name just above hers, _Stet-Irk Runt_. Lara's mind suddenly started screaming to her that something was not quite right about the name, and she couldn't quite fathom out what, or why she was reacting so fiercely to it...and then it hit her with the widening of her eyes, it was an anagram. "_Stet-Irk Runt...Kurtis Trent!", _he had been at the hospital...


	3. A Hard Day's Night

Lara shook her head, still in mild disbelief that Kurtis had been at the same hospital, all before robbing her during her sedation..._Stet-Irk Runt_ was quite the alluring character. Lara suddenly remembered something, something so obvious she was surprised it had even slipped her mind. Lara reached into her back pocket, producing a brown leather bound notebook, she read the gold engraved clasp on the front inwardly, running a nail over the text softly. "Werner Von Croy – Field Notebook." Lara pushed the clasp, releasing the lock and opening the book up, flicking carefully through yellowing wafer thin pages up to the most recent entry, made by herself.

"_Use the glove to destroy the Sleeper._"

Lara stared at this for a while, absorbed in the words before shaking her head and placing it upon the crate-desk. She reached over and pulled the string dangling from under the aged lampshade, bathing the dank room in some much needed light, she then felt around the crate-desk, smiling when her hand smoothed over a pen which she lifted, testing it on the wooden surface lightly before wavering it over the pages. She pressed the pen to the paper and began to note down her neat final entry, eyes swimming in time with the flow of ink, she looked at the short note.

_I did it Werner, I did it._

It was then that tears started to roll slowly down Lara's cheeks, smearing their way through the dried streaks of blood and dirt from the previous days hardship, Lara wiped her eyes and softly closed the notebook, burying her head into her folded arms as she leaned on the crate-desk. Lara looked across the room from her bowed position, taking into account some of the things that had slipped her mind in the last few hours – she was still a wanted woman in Paris, Gunderson was the last remaining of the Cabal, Kurtis...all of those things rushed back to her.

Lara pulled up from her position and walked over to the floor set 'bed', slipping off her backpack and letting it fall to the floor before walking back over to the crate. After some struggle finding the correct wires she plugged in the decaying television set and flicked it on, sitting down on the mattress as the TV flickered to life amidst static. As soon as the dampness of the mattress soaked into her shorts Lara decided it was going to be upright sleep for her, pulling back up and sitting into the swivel chair. Lara looked briefly towards the TV and as soon as breasts and cheesy 80's music popped on she sighed and flicked it back off, as well as the lamp.

In the darkness of the dirty room Lara leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes, deciding a few hours sleep would do her good but only a few. After a half hour of lying with her eyes closed Lara gave up and flicked the light back on, seemingly aggravated at the fact she had no means of telling what time it was. Lara pulled up from her chair and slipped her trench coat off the chair and pulled it on, deciding to head back to the hospital and have a look around. Lara grabbed her backpack up from the floor and tugged it on, unlocking and vacating the room in a flash. It was as she was walking down the creaky dark hallway did the skinny figure appear ahead of her, just a few doors down, standing in the ajar space in an odd manner.

Lara tightened her fist and continued by him, but when his fingers grabbed at her shoulder she gripped the dirty hand, pulled him up and flipped him over her head with ease, his light weight aiding the effectiveness of the move. Lara bore her teeth as she pushed him over and down to the floor, landing with a crash at her feet in a burst of dust from the floor, Lara leaned over the spluttering figure. He was unclean, masses of brown unkempt hair falling over a bony, dirt streaked face, and his attire of ripped tracksuit bottoms and a grubby 'white' vest wasn't adding to the image well, Lara assessed him instantly by his thinness.

"Bloody junkie." Lara spat, before walking a few steps on, before she turned and walked straight into the room he had came from, overstepping the pained man into his hotel room, Lara couldn't help to gasp.

The room, apart from the bad, was totally furnished in bags of white powder and weed, Lara let out a amused hum before looking amidst the stacks of drugs, her eye glinting at the large stack of notes beside his neat cocaine pile. Lara hopped over the low ragged bed and began to stuff large wads of koruna into the pockets of her green camouflage shorts, before turning on her heel and leaving the room, allowing two notes to flutter to the dealers dazed body strewn across the hallway. Lara ran by the still sleeping woman at the front desk and quickly slipped through the glass entry door, and with a sudden sense of urgency sprinted around the slushy cold of the street corner. Her eyes darted cautiously through the surrounding alleyways and boarded doorways, ever expectant of Gunderson to somehow jump out at her, with guns or hospital register books blazing, but he decided not to show. With a sigh of relief Lara reached the hospital in seconds and slipped through the cracked glass doors.

Lara felt a slight pang of guilt, the carnage around her had been her fault in her way. The room had been torn apart, obviously by a frustrated Gunderson. Notice pin-boards had been torn from the peeling walls and the reception desk had been cracked in half, leaflets and flyers scattered across the tiles and the chairs to her left had been strewn all over, some of their legs bent effortlessly in knots. It was the next thing Lara seen that disturbed her the most.

The receptionist that Gunderson had asked to help find her had seemingly been thrown against the wall just beside her, the force had savagely torn her head, her rooted blonde hair was soaked in red. Lara walked over the tiles and knelt at her side, examining the plastic tag on her dirty pinny, the poor womans name being Jana. Lara pressed to fingers to her neck, her face unrecognisable due to the dried blood and hair stuck all over her features, Lara closed her eyes and exhaled deeply when no pulse was under her fingertips, standing up and walking towards the reception desk.

The cracked plastic top, covered in a cream granite effect was littered in more leaflets and forms, nothing of use, until she spotted a peeling old key tucked between the papers. Lara removed it from the pile and examined it, hopefully it would lead her into the ward area or at least somewhere that could provide useful information on the patients, in particular a Mr. Stet_-Irk Runt_. "He is a bloody runt." Lara remarked to herself, stepping off towards the ward entry door, slipping the key in and with success opening the door. The lights had been cut off, most likely rage had led Gunderson to taking it all out on a fuse box. Lara sighed, and suddenly became aware of the blood soaked all over her trench coat, Lara grumbled and removed it, even more aware of the biting cold in her top and shorts, but she couldn't risk even more special attention than she already had from Paris.

Reaching for her hip and cursing yet again at realising she had no weaponry, Lara skulked into the cool darkness of the ward, the glowing green EXIT sign at the end of the hallway the only light she had. It was only a few steps into the darkness that Lara heard a quick flash of steps behind her, but with a mental array of curses Lara was to slow to register them and make a move, the barrel of a gun prodded at her skull.

Lara, in a sudden streak of eagerness and will to live flicked her leg around in a twist and caught the parted legs of her assailant, causing them to lose there balance. With this opportunity she turned on her heel and kicked at the silhouettes' shin in the gloom, her move executed just as she wanted as they fell to their side, whacking off of something heavy on the wall and sliding to the floor. Lara made a grab for their hand as they fell, overpowering their gun from them in a flash and training it on the body strewn across the floor.

Lara's eyes darted around the hall as the lights overhead suddenly flickered to life one by one, whoever had wanted to threaten her had bumped into the fuse box, flicked the lights or or something.

Lara couldn't help to notice how weird the Pistol in her hand felt, it was unlike any of the thousands she had manned in her years. It was amazingly intricate, composed in different sections perfectly. It was with assesment of the laser sight screwed to the underside of the barrel and synthesis of parts on the magazine well that she concluded the gun was an excellent example of expensive custom weaponry.

Lara suddenly frowned, totally unaware of the daydream she had went in and the situation at hand, Lara looked forward and gasped, the gun wavering in her hands. The wall her ambusher had slid down was painted with a thick trail of blood, when she followed this trail and as soon as her eyes met _his_ the gun fell to the floor with a clatter. He blended in seamlessly with the cleaner of the white tiles he lay akwardly across, but the small pool of blood he had created from his short time on the floor was astounding, and frightening. His clothes, blackened by the now crimson fabric seemingly revealed a source of the blood loss. A ragged tear in his shirt, drenched in to much blood to make anything out was clearly the cause,

Lara bit her lip and knelt by him, pressing her fingertips to his cool neck, a low pulse tapped away. His eyelids flashed open, adding a burst to his blank canvas when famailar, haunting aqua blue eyes darted around the room and met her stare in panic. His hand, ice cold, went straight to her wrist which rested on his neck, he huskily began to form some speech as his fingers gripped her firmly.

"Are they...are the Cabal...gone?" he breathed raspily.

Lara studied him doubtfully, there was a chance she would't have to tell him about Karel and the whole complications of the situation, and the fact Gunderson still remained...but she forgave all of those facts and nodded.

"Yes, they're all gone, Kurtis.".

-

As the explosion from a mere three hours ago finally subsided it's erratic vibrations and the white hot energy that had violently flared through every possible space in the laboratory slowly died down, a dead silence became of the huge complex.

Amidst the debris of the subterranean structure that was the earlier epicentre of the blow, under a mass of stone, metal catwalks and electric pipes, a piece of red fabric, once a scarf, lay torn and dusty amidst the sandy pit basing the wreckage. It's owner, far to the left was crushed under the weight of a steel cylinder, his already grey skin greyer with thick dust particles coating him. Finally his eyes were opened, the whole eye a mysterious pale blue, like that of a blind man. He was faced only with the surrounding blackness, and the odour of his own blood mixed with the aged gases that had once been concealed within the rocks formed around him.

His barely gloved hands attempted movement, his pinkie flickered, but that was all he achieved as his whole arm was pinned by a heavy rubber pipe, still hot with the electricity once running within it's copper filling. He closed his eyes, just to remember how he'd got here…the word Carol came to him, before the letters littering in his minds eye formed into something.

K A R E L

Karel, at least what he assumed was his name had come back to him. Suddenly, in a weary blink his memory came flooding back through opened gates, from him soaring above the heights of humanity thousands of years ago to him slaying Eckhart all but hours ago, he knew what he would have to do now.

Karel appeared intense as he closed his mysterious eyes, began to shake as he pressured his body back into decent strength. Whilst doing so his grey skin became a more humane tone, his eyes retained normal pupils and an iris, but were now a deep emerald in colour. He did so for five or so minutes, frown lines appearing in the smooth skin of his human form.

He felt he was strong enough to last, his now retained self glowing with health he then closed his eyes once more. With that he flashed them open, as his power absorbed in a flicker of movement and released, the debris around him flying up with ease hundreds of feet into the air of the underground tower in a deafening blast. Karel flew literally off of the ground in a sudden flicker of green fiery aura, frowned, and flew up in what sounded like raging screams of power. Through a rain of rock, rubber and metal, smashing though pipes and scalding ruins with ease, Karel reached the roof of the cavern and closed his eyes as he smashed through the ancient stones of Prague, strafing in a blur through the many floors of the Strahov as he ascended, in seconds he had smashed into the ground level warehouse and out through the roof, out into the cold streets of Prague as he swam through the starless night sky, the streetlights below like drips of light in the darkness.

He would find them both, he would find them...


	4. Questions Breed Answers

"_There it is again, that...that damn wind. God, it is fucking freezing in here._"

Suddenly the black area his mind had been wandering through burst into bright light, and the room around him fell slowly into visual placement. He felt strange, due to the fact he was lying on the floor of a place he had never been before, his head and shoulders propped up by a pillow.

The walls were a very pale moss green, almost grey-blue. Some of the papering was peeled or dangling off to reveal strips of wood and chipped shards of dusty rock in the wall cavities, suddenly making him aware he was certainly in a derelict or abandoned building. His soft blue eyes squinted, a doorway, stripped of it's door and hinges was straight ahead of him, but was to darkened to see into. To his right, on the bare debris speckled floorboards was an old table lay on it's side, woodworm's very visibly treading there way over the pot holes they had created in the legs, suddenly in the distance footsteps approached, he closed his eyes and feigned sleep.

The footsteps, heavy sounding, most likely from boots walked over to his right side and stopped, with a squeak of the floorboards he assumed they knelled down beside him. He heard something unzip, and his interest peaked, he was tempted to open his eyes-

"I know you're awake, by the way."

-temptation succeeded.

Lara looked back at his slowly opening eyes, flooding suddenly with realisation of who she was and the few past events he could fathom out from his scrambled brain. There eyes met, chocolate and ice. Lara placed her arms behind her and stretched out her legs to sit, all the while silent. He was totally bewildered as far as she could see, looked about the room, even though he already mapped it out, somehow trying to seem distant. After seconds of silence Lara broke the silence, voice scratchy from unknown nervousness to release speech.

"I suppose you have some questions." Lara said hoarsely, eyes slowly rolling back up to met his from the dusty floorboards.

Kurtis disregarded her question of questions, looking down at himself as he slowly edged his weight off of the uncomfortable floor, he mentally grimaced. His shirt, rolled up and stuck wetly to his body revealed the wound, and it was the first time he's actually get to see it. To stop him from going into shock he refused to inspect it back in the Strahov and somehow staggered up through drafty medieval chambers unused in the complex and out into the Prague streets. Within minutes he had found a _lovely _Czech hospital nearby, got himself fixed up with the few notes he could find on his person (or the corpses in the Strahov). And who should he spot in a nearby room sound asleep, mid-way of his 2am escape?

He shook his head and looked down at the wound, exhaling deeply of unknown emotion. The fabric of his combats and shirt were, for the most part, were dyed a deep crimson. He craned his head closer but couldn't see it well enough. He was about to lean back and lie down again when Lara raised a large shard of dirty mirror from the floor beside her, wiping it with her gloved hand. Lara leaned over him slightly and angled the mirror down towards his stomach, he looked into it released a short burst of light breath.

It was a perfect circle, not even ragged around the clotted edge. It ran deep into him but luckily the bloodstained floorboards he was lying on weren't revealed on the other side. The raw pink of his inner flesh was barely visible, but the rest was to dark to see, 'the full interior'.

He gestured with his shaking hand for her to take the image away, turning his head away from the horrific sight. Lara gave him a pitying half smile as she placed the mirror softly down, watching him slowly lie back down on the base of cheap pillows, he sighed and looked towards her again.

"I..."

Lara raised her hand firmly to stop his speech, slowly lowering it to take in his confused brow with a soothing smile.

"I'm just going to tell you everything..." Lara said straight, and with that she revealed the truth of Karel, both his and Eckhardts' death, the decimation of the Sleeper and about Gunderson. Lara revealed everything up to finding Kurtis at the Hospital, at which point she stopped, the look on his face one of shock and confusion. It was after minute like seconds of airy silence Kurtis croaked out some words through the dull pain in his stomach.

"So...Karel was a Nephilim, and was only using his place in the Cabal to help revive the race...so he killed Eckhardt?" Kurtis asked, Lara looked at his pale face and simply affirmed this with a hum, he continued. "And you...you climbed up onto whatever that tower thing was they had been using to revive the Cubiculum Nephili and used the glove to destroy it?" he said hoarsely, Lara nodded again, he looked from her down to his hands, turning the palms over to stare at them.

Aside from the skin being a pale red from the amount of blood they had been holding back, his hands did not contain the _mark of the devil_ as Lara had put it, the cuts from her friends glasses that Karel had bore. When she'd revealed to him Karel had transformed into himself and some of the other assorted, shady characters she had encountered over the 24 hours, he was truly stunned. It was totally new to him that the Nephilim could shape shift. Kurtis closed his fingers into a fist and looked back over to Lara, she was looking glumly with a fake interest at the floor, she met his eyes after a few seconds.

"I'm going to have to patch you up, I mean, just look at the wou-" Lara stopped when he let out a short amused breath. Obviously she was explaining herself due to how stubborn she remembered he was, but she was right. "Thanks." Kurtis said to her, which she assumed was an agreement to her fixing him up, but she stopped when she reached over to the backpack at her side and he continued.

"...and I say that for, well, _everything_ you've done. Really, thanks."

Lara gave him a professional nod, before turning away from him to remove some bandages, a cloth, some surgical tape and a bottle of water, hiding a wide smile from the Lux Veritatis warrior. She turned back to him with her medical lot, dumping it on the floor beside him. She unscrewed the lid of the water and slowly began to dab it into the cloth, Kurtis didn't watch her and instead closed his eyes and lay back, arms firmly at his sides. Lara slowly reached over and pulled up the hem of his shirt a little higher than it was and took the grotesque sight in once more, inhaling and placing the wet cloth on his torso.

Lara, somewhat woodenly due to the awkwardness of what she was doing, began to slowly wipe away the clots and patches of dried blood from Kurtis' wound.

He was amazingly defined, his body had clearly been built up over years of steady and professional training. Lara squeezed the cloth and spread the excess water over his now clean skin, grabbed another cloth from her backpack to dry it with and then threw both cloths away. Lara then gathered some bandages, wrapped the wound tightly and knotted it at his hip.

Lara sat back as he leaned up, giving her a half smile before attempting to stand up. As he lifted his body he leaned to heavily on his stomach and with a sudden reddening of the bandages he fell back to the floor with a thud, crying out in surprised agony. Kurtis groaned mentally as he slipped into unconsciousness once more, barely registering the zoned out echo of his name being called out somewhere in the pitch black distance.

**-**

Kurtis gasped when the sudden blackness he was stumbling blindly through flashed into blinding light, everything beginning to shift into focus. First his hearing came back to him, followed by his sight and the other senses he was barely aware of, followed by his memory. To avoid extending the tear in his stomach, Kurtis carefully sat up and rubbed his weary eyes, the multicoloured dots flashing in front of them fading slowly to normal vision. Giving himself a quick look-over Kurtis was relieved to see that someone had cleaned and bandaged the wound once again and removed the uncomfortably sticky blood soaked shirts he had been wearing. Suddenly his head snapped up, his senses suddenly peaked to their full ability, and his hearing suddenly became aware of the furious slamming, most likely against a door, somewhere nearby.

Kurtis stood upright in a flash and began to look around the altogether unfamiliar flat. Lara had earlier told him she'd broke into it as it was derelict and parallel to the hospital. He paced through the squeaky wooden floors, casting up torrents of dust in his wake as he frantically searched through the stagnant rooms for the front door.

After swiftly entering and vacating a few empty and congealing rooms Kurtis found the main hallway, at the end of it was a terrifying sight.

Lara stood, her back to him and a shaking hand aiming a pistol towards the door that was dead, bolt and key locked. The door still managed to vibrate and fracture with the aid of steady, loud thumps from the opposite side. "Lara!" Kurtis said suddenly, attracting her attention.

Lara's head snapped round, her forehead layered in sweat as she trained her gun carefully on the still slamming door. "It's Gunderson. He's...he's found us." she stammered in a mix of shock and frenzy, yet still in a hauntingly calm tone. Kurtis heart iced over in his chest, he'd been unconscious when he was last with Gunderson in the Strahov. The last time they had truly interacted was during that hazy and disturbing period of his life when he had been in a cocktail of illegal business, back when he was known to him as Capt. Merten Gunderson.

The door continued to thud from behind - the hinges breaking free, the chain snapping, the bolt fracturing.


	5. Getaway

Lara's heart raced as she quickly reloaded the near empty Vector, the door continued to thud with steady blasts from the opposing side, she spared a glance to Kurtis who had his custom handgun raised. "Kurtis _we_ need to try and get out before _he_ gets in." Lara whispered urgently, her hush barely audible over the pounding wood. Kurtis lowered his weapon and followed her soft dash over the dirty carpeted floor, nodding his thanks when she threw a black t-shirt she'd stolen from one of the washing lines at the back of the flats to him. Kurtis quickly pulled it on and clipped on his brown leather shoulder holster, sheathing the Boran X inside.

Lara ran to the Living room, which was a complete wreck. Couches, tables and various junk were overturned and littered all over the place, and the large window that _would've _looked out into the street with the Hospital was boarded up with metal sheeting. "Shit!" Lara cursed lowly, her fate sealed with that of the sealed window "How are we going to get out!?".

She gasped when Kurtis grabbed her shoulder and threw her behind him, signalling with his eyes for her to man the door. Lara nodded and turned, pressing her back to his and raising her Vector towards the Living room door, wincing with every pound of the front door coming from the hallway. Kurtis raised his palm to the window, mentally praying he had enough strength to use his telekinesis. With a single, massive jolt he sent out a current to the sealed window, feeling it with his mind before purging his power out and bending the metal from the inside-out. The process lasted 3 seconds but it left him feeling like he'd been exercising for hours, the metal was now bent outwards. The sudden gust of wind from the street filling the room sent newspaper sheets and glass flying across the floor, Lara reeled round and stood at Kurtis side. The sound of plaster and wood cracking filled the hallway, then heavy footsteps entered the hallway. Lara and Kurtis gave no thought and sprinted for the window.

Kurtis was first, haphazardly leaping from the window sill, Lara wasn't far behind. Lara stepped up to the gap but gasped and turned when Gunderson's massive footsteps reached the Living room doorway, an idea hit her then - it'd been a while since she'd exercised her skill. Gunderson stormed forward, when he was just in reach of her Lara she back flipped from the window facing him. Mid-flip she arched her back around and raised her pistols, she fired seven quick rounds into Gunderson, causing him to fall to his knees at the window. Lara twisted her body in the hopes to land on her feet but instead landed clumsily on her knees, thwacking them on the pavement with some force. Lara winced but scrambled up to Kurtis' side who simply commanded that they run down the street, she nodded and followed his swift run.

"My bike's just round this corner." Kurtis informed her, but as soon as they turned the street they found his green Harley Davidson overturned with it's tires slashed.

"Ah fuck!" Kurtis growled, aggravated both by his bikes condition and there out-of-commission escape plan. Lara tapped his shoulder, pointing to a steaming manhole further up the street – close to the alley that she'd vacated the Strahov from. Kurtis nodded his approval and sprinted in time with her towards the grate, both glancing over their shoulder when a loud shout boomed into the street. Gunderson stood at the street corner, spotted where they were and began to give chase whilst firing hasty rounds from as Desert Ranger. Lara strafed to her left mid run as a slug whizzed past her neck but quickly picked up the pace as Kurtis paced ahead to the manhole and forced it open with a telekinetic shove. "C'mon!" he egged, leaping into the darkness below. Lara soon joined him, landing with a slight splash into the sewer. Kurtis brought the grate back down with his powers, locking it into place tightly. Kurtis fell against the damp wall behind him, breathing heavily as the ache in his stomach pulsed, Lara was instantly occupied with examining the surprisingly fascinating area they had stumbled into.

The sewer was easily 200 years old, early Gothic in style. The walls were made of massive uneven stones cemented together but rimmed with intricately carved arches which were covered in green slime from decades of neglect. The path that seemed to only go left was lined with wooden, cone shaped torches – most of which were still burning brightly.

Suddenly the grate above them began to pound furiously. Lara gasped and whipped out her Vectors, aiming them cautiously at the banging metal circle. Kurtis smiled and reached over to kick her softly on the ankle, her set features confused when they met a calm gaze. "It's sealed tight, he has no chance of getting it open. Relax." Kurtis told her, examining his glaive. Lara calmed and holstered both of her Pistols, adjusting her belt. After a few seconds the banging ceased, Lara turned back to Kurtis.

"What's that _thing_ anyway? Does it have a name?" Lara asked, motioning with her hand to the disc, Kurtis looked from his reflection on it's surface and smiled. "It does has a name actually, it's known as a Chirugai...it's Latin for something but I can't remember wha-

"It means a surgical 'strike' or 'cut', anyway is it a Lux Veritatis artefact?" Lara butt in, keeping her face blank as Kurtis chuckled at her. "Artefact? You don't have to be so articulate, it's a weapon – a dangerous one at that. I control it with my mind, but it's hard to explain." Kurtis said, absently staring at the floor, Lara stepped over the wet cobbles at their feet to take stance behind him.

"Can you try to? Forgive me, It's just I'm intrigued. I'm an archaeologist you see, and it's rare if never that I get to discuss supernatural abilities with a gifted person such as yourself. Usually the person with said abilities is trying to kill me and-or escaping with something I want, and I _do not_ let _that_ happen. _Ever_."

Kurtis chuckled again, reaching into the pocket of his blood stained khaki combats to remove a wet, crumpled cigarette and a Zippo. He placed it between his lips, flicked open his Zippo and lit it. After a long drag he flipped the lighter closed an pocketed it, turning his head back to Lara.

"I know exactly who and what you are Lara, unfortunately for the wrong reasons." Kurtis said, giving her a side look. Lara understood the meaning of his words and gazed down at her feet, looking back up when he resumed talking. "...anyway it's kind of like a 3rd arm, let's say it comes out from the middle of my chest. It's elastic and very strong so I can take it almost anywhere and open anything with it – that's how my telekinetic push-pull works. The Chirugai works basically the same way. When I throw it 'the hand' goes with it, but I have limitations due to how severely using my powers drains me. The furthest I've got the Chirugai to go is maybe a mile and a half, but I near collapsed trying that, also the adrenaline of trying to kill an enemy also aids how urgently I want to simply send It out and get it back. A quick kill." Kurtis explained, smiling at Lara's fascinated expression as he took exhaled a large plume of smoke.

"Do you have any other Lux Veritatis abilities?" Lara asked, folding her arms across her self to absorb warmth – she'd left her trench coat at the apartment and had left herself cold and wet dressed in shorts and a crop-top.

"Yeah. I can, well...again it's hard to describe. I can leave my body and look around areas, sort of like extending my minds eye out into the open. My real body is left blind and defenceless as my true self is wandering around in the air. I see everything in a sort of optically messed vision, everything is in a strange hue of orange...I dunno, it's weird. When I'm done I have to travel back to my body and enter my 'shell' so to speak, but the drain I fell is much more significant than that of using my telekinesis. My head kills afterwards for about 10 or 15 minutes." Kurtis finished, throwing his cigarette to the floor and crushing it under his foot.

"Can I ask you one more thing?" Lara asked, face amazed by Kurtis' explanations.

"Shoot." Kurtis said, clipping the Chirugai back onto his belt and fiddling with his brown leather wristband. Lara cleared her throat, her face taking a more serious expression as she unfolded her arms.

"I was just wondering, seeing as we didn't actually talk about it...what happened with Boaz? Is that how you got your wound?" Lara asked, watching a difference flicker onto Kurtis collected face, he folded his own arms and leaned back against the wall.

"Well..."

Kurtis stopped instantly, raising a hand for Lara to be quiet as he unholstered his Boran X and aimed it towards the darkness ahead. Lara took a step to his left and unholstered her Vector-R35's, nudging him to ask what exactly she was aiming at.

Kurtis was about to whisper that he heard something but the sudden blast of an inhuman screech that echoed throughout the sewer chamber answered for him. Lara was taken a back in surprise but still kept a stead aim on ahead, the darkness ahead flickering slightly with the illumination of the medieval torches. Suddenly something lurched out of the shadows slowly, one strange step. Then another, and another until a human-like form was silhouetted ahead. Kurtis shot a look to Lara who was conveniently looking at him in the same confusion, the form took another step forward, fully into the light and was visible. Lara didn't get a good look it at when she turned, but as soon as Kurtis saw it he gave a low growl and fired a full round at the creature, watching as it stumbled back into the darkness. It gave out a few agonised screeches, causing Lara to shiver at the horrible sound as she began to slowly stalk forward, guns raised. Kurtis joined her holstering his Pistol and unclipping the Chirugai, gripping the finger holes tightly.

Suddenly the thing snarled again in full rage and took a flying step out of the shadows, raising two ragged and near destroyed wings. Lara watched as it flew towards them, diving far into the sides of the chamber as it flew by.

It looked, essentially, like a human moth. The body was beige and wrinkled, stretched over the counters of a possibly female body, green vein like shapes stuck out prominently all over it's chest. What was left of it's brown-transparent wings stretching out from a fleshy mass in it's back. One of it's dark, fly-like circular eyes had been shot out, leaving a large hole which ran fluid down it's horrendous face. It's lipless mouth was a wide open with it's screech, jagged and irregular teeth protruding from it's brown gums. It's hands were outstretched as it sped forward, one of which was a build of flesh and claw, the other was a large ragged spike which extended from the skin were a wrist should have been. However, it's most significant and haunting feature was the short, jet black hair running down the sides of it's monstrous head, it probably used to be human.

Lara tucked and rolled when she hit the wet ground, kneeling up to shoot multiple rounds at the creature when she was steady. It growled in pain and anger as it twisted it's bleeding body back around to have another shot at them. Kurtis stepped ahead of it's path a threw the Chirugai towards it, the blades sprung to life mid-air and it began to spin in a blur of orange light towards the monster. The thing cried out in shock, almost expectant or familiar with the Chirugai, but it wasn't quick enough to change it's path and was struck by the blades. In one swift, fluid movement the disc flew sliced through it's neck, decapitating it in a flurry of greenish fluid. The body fell straight from it's glide to the wet floor with a splash, it's nervous system causing it to writhe and spasm around on the ground. It's ragged head dropped and began to roll along the ground, coming to a halt right beside it's body.

Kurtis allowed the Chirugai to hover around the corpse as he ran to it, mid-run ripping one of the torches off of the wall with ease. Lara holstered her weapons and stood into a jog to catch up with him, watching as he stopped at the body and began to dribble the oil from the burning torch over the body before dropping the whole thing down on top of it.

The flames overcame the being instantly and wafted a putrid smell throughout the already unpleasant sewer, Lara waved the smoke out of her face and came to a stop beside Kurtis, who stared cold and resentful down at the melting witch.

"What the fuck was _that_?" Lara asked, staring curiously at the blackened, liquidating form licked by the dancing flames. Kurtis raised a hand and the Chirugai returned to it's master, blades sheathing the instant his fingers gripped the slots. He clipped it to his sides before turning to her, a familiar lopsided smirk on his face.

"_That _was Boaz, and to answer your question before we were- he glanced briefly down at the fire -rudely interrupted, _this _is what happened to her." Kurtis said, smiling whole heartedly down at his cremation.

Lara was taken aback, but began smiled with an amused hum. "What about your wound though? Was that her?" Lara continued, Kurtis gave a her a short nod.

"When I killed that big arachnid pod she turned into _this _ugly bitch rose from it's inside. I thought I'd killed here, I near enough fired five clips into her without fail...I was wrong. When I was walking away she got right back up and got me a good one with her skewer arm, I threw the Chirugai at her and decapitated her and I was _again_ sure I'd finally killed her, but I guess she can regenerate missing heads if her body is 'all together'. Hopefully, burning her will do it." Kurtis explained, kicking his boot into the now smouldered remains, the flames dyed down.

"I guess this means these sewers are connected to the Strahov. That would explains why they're so old and how she..._it_ got here - and why it was locked so well." Lara mused, hands on her hips. Kurtis nodded, eyes still following the few remaining flames.

Lara looked down through the sewer ahead, where Boaz had came from. She turned back to Kurtis, "C'mon, let's go." she suggested, before descending into the barely illuminated blackness ahead.

Kurtis spared a few seconds to stare into the ash, fried flesh and green blood before him before running ahead, making sure he trampled over the corpse on his way.


	6. The Doppelgänger

Gunderson stamped his massive foot down on the sewer grate once more before cursing loudly into the night air, she had escaped from his grasp again.

He removed a small radio from his pocket, flicked a switch on it and simply muttered _"_Failure" into it before pocketing it again, and storming off back the way he had came. He contemplated going back to shoot the grate open but upon realising his Desert Ranger was out of ammo he cursed yet again and threw the useless weapon through a derelict store window.

The air felt strange that night, overpoweringly fresh due to the layers of snow and the general coldness everywhere but unpleasantly tinted with the smell of burning from the Industrial Estate at the perimeter of the neighbourhood. Gunderson stuff his hands into the pockets of his navy duffel coat, the angered force of how he did this caused a few of the gold buttons on the jacket to pop off. He snarled, this was clearly not a good day for him. Earlier in the night he had just walked out of the Strahov, completely oblivious to everything that had been happening. After himself and Eckhardt had traded Trent for the final Obscura Painting he had been dismissed by Pieter, told that he wanted to "finalise the process alone.".

"_Old fool_"

He hadn't known that the 'process' wasn't his to 'finalise', Karel had Gunderson alone informed on what was really going to happen.

Joachim had seemingly noticed his true worth, and had appointed him as a companion of sorts – promising him full safety and appointment amidst the revived Nephilim race if all went to plan, which it would of course...if Lara Croft wasn't underestimated as she was. She had single handedly killed both Eckhardt and Karel within minutes of each other, and completely destroyed the Sleeper – and along with it all hope of regenerating the race. Gunderson had assumed with that he was, in a sense, unemployed. So he was going to head back to his native Germany, maybe try and get in touch with some of his old contacts from The Agency - that was when Karel had simply appeared before him, behind the wheel of a stolen car.

-

"_Marten, step into the car. Now" Karel said coolly, looking straight ahead through the tinted windows of the car, dressed all in black._

_Marten was taken aback as he took in the sight of his master, who he had presumed dead, very much alive and well behind the wheel of a very expensive looking car. "Y-yes, of course sir.". Gunderson pulled open the passenger door and stepped into the car, settling into the cream leather seat as the car sped away at top speed._

"_Are you up-to-date on the situation?" Karel asked in familiar archaism, Gunderson nodded as he looked out of the window at the motion blur of the run-down neighbourhood, he turned back upon his masters sigh. "...I didn't anticipate this, my friend. However all hope may, or may not, be lost. I think we'll have to pay Luther a visit." Karel said, breathing deeply as he watched the empty roads ahead._

_Gunderson arched an eyebrow. "Luther Rouzic? What are you wanting to see him for?" he asked, confused at the nature the visit could possibly be on. Unless..._

_Karel spotted the flicker of understanding in Gunderson's and nodded. "You never know Marten, maybe one or more of the files on store contain something of use to us. That isn't the only reason I want to pay him a visit." Karel said, a smile touching his thin lips._

_Gunderson was about to question him about it when Karel broke hard and pulled into the corner, they were now parked in front of a Hospital. _

"_No questions, I will inform you of it later...if we need to use that plan anyway. I want you to do something for me, right now, which will determine that. I have two thorns in my side for the moment being and I want you to remove them. I presume you have an inkling as to who I speak of?" Karel said, Gunderson nodded and opened the door of the car, stepping out into the snowy street._

"_Dispose of them, quickly. If you fail to do so contact me on this- Karel handed him a small communications radio -and I will collect you. Hopefully you don't need to use this, but if you do we will head to City Archives and you can assist me with another task. Understood?" Karel asked, Gunderson nodded and closed the door just before Karel sped away._

**-**

Gunderson stood at the street corner of the Hospital and waited, a few seconds passed and the car came to a halt from around the bend before him, he stepped in.

Karel looked at him with no anger as he had expected and simply nodded his greeting as he sped off, all the while with a sincere smile on his face. "Do not fret, I can empathize, both of them are a much more cunning than we can give them credit for." Karel said, before reaching a hand over to Gunderson to remove a long brown hair from his coat. Karel, still smiling mysteriously, placed the hair into a small vial on the dashboard of the car, which he sealed and passed to Gunderson, he looked at the vial curiously before looking dumbfounded over at a still cheerful Karel.

"Do you recall what I said? If you were unsuccessful, as I expected, in taking care of Miss Croft and her companion that I had an idea of sorts? And that we would go to the Archives" Karel said, Gunderson indeed recalled and nodded, Karel continued. "Well, I paid our friend Luther a visit while you were trying to apprehend them and had a look at some ancient texts. My earlier musings were, to my delight, correct. Cappadocia does hold one, and one only, last chance possibility for us. We'll be leaving for Istanbul tonight if you do not mind, however that leaves us with the problem of our two _friends_ here in Prague." Karel explained, Gunderson nodded as he listened intently, beyond pleased that there hope was not lost.

"Well, my idea was that if we were to find a way, which we have, to continue our plans we only have ourselves to fulfil them...of course I will find us some willing assistants in Turkey. But what about those two? Who's going to deal with them? Well, to be frank, I do not have time to waste hiring an outside party to take care of them...and to be honest even they would fail to outsmart the two of them combined. So upon some thought I came to the realisation that the only thing that can really outsmart Miss Croft is herself." Karel said, pulling the car to a smooth halt in front of the library building.

It was a beautiful temple-like building. Large stone steps lead up to the front door which the roofing extended over, help up with large pillars. "I still don't understand, sir. What's the plan?" Gunderson asked, Karel smiled and stepped out of the car, Gunderson did the same. "Follow me, and listen." Karel said, ascending the steps to the library.

**-**

Luther Rouzic sat at the reception area, checking for overdue books on the system databases when two figures entered the building swiftly, he rose to greet them but smiled uncertainly when he recognised one of them.

"Er...Greetings Joachim. My apologies, did you leave something behind upon your earlier visit?" Luther asked, frightened by the strange expression on both of his visitors faces.

Gunderson took in the man's appearance. Small, bald, dressed smart in a shirt, tie and suit. However his most prominent feature was indubitably three large red scars across his left eye, almost like a massive scratch.

Gunderson quickly looked around the large, regal room. Besides the three of them the building was apparently empty, Karel stepped over to the entrance and locked it, Luther began to shake.

"Excuse me. What-what is it you are doing? What do you want?" Luther asked, instantly terrified as the large skinhead who had accompanied Karel took large striding steps towards him, removing a large Bowie Knife from within his coat. Karel pulled a chair down from a pile by the door and sat himself down on it, waiting for Marten to finish. Gunderson lifted the small, skinny man with ease and stabbed him quickly in the chest – a quick and essentially painless death. He withdrew his knife and allowed him to fall to the carpeted floor, the already red carpet darkening with as Rouzic bled out.

Karel stood up and removed his leather gloves, kneeling down beside the body and rolling it over onto it's front. "Marten? The vial, please." Karel said, closing Luthers eyes over with his fingers. Gunderson removed the hair sample from his pocket and handed it to him. Karel unscrewed the cap and emptied the strand into his hand, throwing the vial over his shoulder into one of the aisles.

"Pardon my ignorance, but what _is_ the plan, sir? I gather that's one of Croft's hairs but I still don't understand your intentions with Rouzic." Gunderson asked, watching as Karel ripped Luthers jacket and shirt open to reveal his pale, bony chest.

"That scar across his face...I gave him it over 200 years ago. Because of it he is now, for lack of better word, _infected_ with Nephilic power. Although he possesses no real 'abilities' he gained immortality, I unknowingly granted him this with the scar. In a way he is the only one of a half-breed of Nephilic Human, although he is not fully a species of his own. One of the abilities I have is known as Clonal Possession, with which I can take another Nephilim, replace it with what I want and control the finished product, a clone of the thing it has been transformed into. All I need to do so is some form of DNA of the 'thing' that I want to turn the Nephilim into, in this case- he held up the strand of hair -Miss Croft. Luther will not exist at all in it's mind, as if he were trapped inside another body, it will be a totally new being. This will only work because of Luther's connection to the Nephilim." Karel said, taking off his leather jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

Gunderson watched as he placed the hair in the centre of Luthers chest, and lifted one of his hands, he cleared his throat. "So...you are going to make a clone of Croft? Will it be exactly like her?" Gunderson asked, taking the seat Karel had earlier vacated, he nodded.

"Yes, in ability and appearance, but it won't be an 'exact' clone that thinks it _is_ Lara, it subconsciously knows that it is itself. Do you understand? I guess it could be better described to you as a Doppelgänger, which you should recognise from your native tongue. When it awakes, it will instantly recognise me, a Nephilim, as it's master. It itself will not be a Nephilim but will share all of the abilities I choose to give to it...this is what I plan to deal with Lara as we are in Turkey." Karel said, Gunderson nodded to this.

"Let us begin the transformation."

Gunderson watched wide eyed as Karel slammed his fist down into Rouzic's chest in a fountain of blood, reaching right inside of him to grasp his dead heart. In a sudden flash of light- which Gunderson shielded his eyes from -Luther's body was no more.

Gunderson stood, as did Karel. He wiped his bloody hands on the shredded mess of Rouzic's clothes, and put his gloves back on. Gunderson peered down at the form on the floor in amazement.

Strewn on the carpet was a naked, _almost_ identical form of Lara Croft.

There were some differences however...this Lara was a lot paler, almost pure white. Dark veins could be seen just underneath the surface of her porcelain skin, similar to her creators'. Most noticeable was the fact her her hair was bright red, and not the normal human auburn, but true crimson red – already in a long braid exactly like Lara's. Aside those two alterations he could see there actual bodily appearance was the same. Karel rolled down his sleeves and smiled and Gunderson's amazement. "Absolutely incredible isn't it." he said, kneeling down to the clone's side.

"Hello, my child. Can you hear me?" Karel asked, removing his jacket and placing a gloved hand on her icy shoulder. The Doppelgänger opened her eyes, it was then Gunderson noticed another significant difference, this Lara's eyes were a milky yellow – bright and alert like topaz.

The Doppelgänger took one look at Karel and instantly nodded, standing up in a movement so quick Gunderson missed it happening. Karel placed his jacket over the naked beauty and guided her out of the front door after Gunderson unlocked it for them, the 3 made there way down the steps and into Karel's car.

Gunderson opened the back door to let the Doppelgänger in, she stepped in quickly as did Karel and Gunderson in the front seats. Karel looked over his seat and passed the Doppelgänger a polythene bag full of clothes, "Here, put these on."

Within seconds the Doppelgänger had dressed herself with what Karel had stolen for her earlier as he drove away from the library. A zip-up leotard, tight trousers, thick boots and fingerless gloves - all black leather.

"What are my orders, Master Karel?" the Doppelgänger asked in a strange voice, causing Gunderson to sit upright in surprise as he assumed the thing was mute. Her voice was indeed strange - exactly like Lara's but delivered layered over a deeper, static version of the same words.

Karel ignored Gunderson's intrigued attitude towards the Doppelgänger and turned to her as he drove, handing her a still photo from the Strahov CCTV of Lara and Kurtis in an airlock and a mobile phone. "Distract these two, keep them away from us and kill them if you feel it necessary. Answer any calls you get as they will be from me, Go now." he said.

The Doppelgänger ripped the photo and phone from his hands and smashed through the sunroof of the car, jumping out into the street. Gunderson looked in his side mirror as she fled into a snowy alleyway to their left. "Impressive, sir." he commended, Karel gave him a nod as he sped up along the street.

"Our flight leaves in a little under three hours, we are heading to Ruzyne Airport now." Karel informed him, Gunderson nodded.


	7. Close Encounter

After 10 minutes of trundling through the medieval sewers in silence Lara and Kurtis emerged from damaged manhole into the ground level of the Strahov. Lara made her way into the massive warehouse she had familiarised herself with well, gun held loosely at her hip – Kurtis tagged behind, unsure of the buildings layout. Lara stalled only moments after entering the freezing warehouse, totally confused.

In the middle of the room was a moderate sized hole, surrounded by rocky debris, that Lara was positive wasn't there the various she had backtracked through it. Lara carefully toed to the edge of the gap and peered down. Although it was really to dark to see clearly it appeared that the hole extended down through a few, possibly all, of the floors below. Kurtis was at her side a few seconds after, looking down into the darkness in equal bemusement.

"This wasn't here when I was leaving the Strahov." Lara informed him, leaning back from the edge and holstering her gun. Kurtis looked down for a few more seconds before turning to her.

"What'd ya think made it?" Kurtis asked, removing his last cigarette from his pocket and lighting up. "Beats me, maybe something collapsed off of one of the lock-ups." Lara shrugged, rocking back on her heels as she allowed him to finish his smoke. Kurtis quickly drew it down to a doubt and threw it in the mysterious crater, directing with his head for Lara to follow him to the ajar door at the opposite end of the room.

They both exited into what appeared to be a scrap yard at the back of the warehouses, beyond the high barbed fencings around them was the Industrial estate Lara had spotted earlier when heading to the Hospital. All around was various broken, abandoned or simply useless junk from the Strahov. Amidst the obvious rejected items were large stone huts filled with assigned spares, the names of their contents painted in bold white on their wall. Planks of wood, large rusted saw blades and packs of broken bricks all lay around – covered in thick blankets of snow. Lara was unintentionally sad at the fact it was still pitch dark out, it felt like forever since she'd seen some form of light, both visually and mentally. With a sigh she turned to Kurtis who had a grin on his face, he pointed across the yard to one of the marked huts, with the word TYRES marked in dripped paint over it's wall.

"Looks like we'll be able to head out of this shitty town, and the country it's in, now, ha!" Kurtis said with school boyish glee as he headed over the yard to find replacement tyres for his Motorbike. Lara decided to wait on him in the yard, brushing snow off of a large log of timber behind her before sitting on it. Aside the Baltic Lara remained in good spirits, imitating smoking with the water vapour fog in the cold air as she exhaled.

**-**

The violently biting cold was nothing to her as she sailed through the air with grace and inhuman ease, leaping with incredible speed across the massive gaps between derelict building rooftops. The Doppelgänger had sensed that her nameless targets where somewhere nearby, so she'd decided to through her photographic aid asunder as she vaulted through the night sky in her hunt. With a sudden skid against grit the Doppelgänger stopped in her race, looking down at the street below her into a closed hunting accessory store. A smile touched her pale features as she leapt almost the length of the street to reach the shop window.

She raised one of her hands and gave the glass a light push which smashed the full pane inwards, she hopped into the store and rummaged around for a useful weapon. The Doppelgänger ripped a sealed cardboard box at her feet open and withdrew the contents, looking them over before being satisfied enough to take them. She strapped on the two leather thigh holster inside the box and loaded it with two Scorpion X automatics she'd found in an attaché case nearby. Quickly, incase they became useful later she also obtained two walkie-talkie radios.

When she was fully loaded she ran back out into the street and hoisted herself up a drainpipe with ease onto the snow covered rooftops. After under a minute of sprinting the Doppelgänger stalled at the edge of the warehouse she stood atop and peered below, golden eyes widening in anticipation as she spotted one of her targets, the female, sitting on a a wad of timber amidst a snowed out scrap yard.

The Doppelgänger loaded her two Scorpions and took a running jump from the edge of the roofing, taking aim as she flew with speed and precision through the air.

**-**

Lara hugged herself to keep warm as Kurtis riffled through a pile of different sized tyres, most of which were damaged, in the hopes have fixing his Motorbike and getting out of Prague. Something pinged near Lara, a sound that she couldn't quite remember, the muffled impact very familiar. It was sheer luck Lara then recognised the noise as she dove forward from her seated position and drew her Pistols, avoiding a barrage of silenced gunshots by inches. Lara rolled up into stance and pivoted on her heel to turn and face the gunman.

Lara had never, in her entire life, been so shocked and disturbed.

The Doppelgänger growled as she neared landing in the scrap yard, holstering her weapons and outstretching her legs in a split to land in a graceful hunters crouch in the snow. A smile spread across her veined, porcelain features at her targets horror, in a flash she flew into a forward cartwheel and squared her feet off of Lara's chest.

Lara gasped as the wind left her lungs in an indescribably painful blow, the force of the assault sent her flying across the lot with her pistols falling from her grip. She landed in a heap scaffolding material, various poles prodding at her back painfully in the deep snow. She shook her head in spite of it and shot up, looking around for what she was hoping was a figment of her imagination. After a few seconds Lara felt something tap her shoulder, and she knew instantly that she had not imagined her.

Lara turned and in the few seconds before she was pushed with incredible ease 15 feet across the yard she took in the ghostly site before her. She was...her.

The whole _thing_ was completely uncanny, apart from crimson hair, ill-pale skin and yellow eyes Lara was looking into a mirror, a living mirror that smirked back at her with sheer evil.

Lara arched her back as she was thrown through the air and managed to land in a clumsy kneel in the snow, picking up one of her Vector-R35's that had landed nearby, the clone nowhere in sight again.

"What _are_ you!?" Lara called out, understanding that she had no chance of defeating the thing due to it's apparent superhuman speed and strength.

Lara's eyes widened when it stepped out from behind a rusty industrial skip, walking slowly and gracefully as she spun one of her automatic pistols like a professional cowboy. "It would seem that I'm you with all the flaws removed. I have no name if _that's _what you mean, I heard my master call me a Doppelgänger which I guess must apply to me. I could ask _you_ the same question as I wonder what such a pathetic, feeble creature could possibly be called." she said said in her haunting, electronic voice.

As Lara listened to the Doppelgänger talk in a synthesised version of her voice she was cast back to something, something she hadn't quite related until now. She had in fact had experience with a clone before, except that incident didn't involve the creature having free will of it's own...or a voice.

**-**

_Lara hopped from another dusty black cave of Natla's maze-like mines, landing carefully in a small pit of something similar to hay, except more spongy._

_She raised her two 9mm Pistols and stalked from the shadows into a large, bright cavern. The room was centred around a beige stone structure, covered in familiar Atlantean script and various intricate detail. _

_Lara leapt back into the safety of a large stone when she saw something flicker behind the pillar, and arched an eyebrow In curiosity when it seemed to do the same thing. Gripping her guns tightly she stepped forward into the light of the main room and growled at the sight of another strange inside-out muscle Atlantean, except this one had a very human physique aside an oval shaped head and large brown eyes._

_Lara carefully stepped out, but then stalled again – this was very weird. _

_The way she had her guns raised and even the way she had strode out from the pillar was mirrored in the Atlantean's movement and pose, as if it was an exact copy of her. Testing her theory Lara stamped her left foot 3 times and watched as the Atlantean did the same with it's right leg. Her interest fully sparked, Lara holstered her guns and walked towards her copy._

**-**

Close, but no cigar. This fake was a real person that didn't copy her, but looked exactly the same. A self-sufficient copy.

Suddenly the Doppelgänger sped up from her slow stride but Lara gather her reflexes quicker that before, diving out of it's way and shooting two point blank shots in her direction – she still missed the amazingly fast being.

Kurtis had finally found two tyres that were fully inflated, undamaged and would fit his Harley. Rubbing the grime and oil from his hands onto his already black shirt he hoisted the two tyres out of the yard. He strafed back into the tyre yard again when a shot just missed his ear, raising his Boran X and peering around the corner, he gasped.

Lara was fighting, well, herself!

A woman that looked just like Lara was slowly skulking in her direction, Lara was looking at it with confusion as she gripped one of her pistols.

He could only tell them apart from how pale the other one was, her leather attire and bright red hair - suddenly it lurched forward and Lara dove out of her way, firing some shots quickly but missing her mark completely. Kurtis quickly reeled around the corner and aimed at the clone, firing a shot which she dodged acrobatically, falling back into a crab and pulling herself up when it impacted the wall behind her. Now angered, it look straight at him and suddenly it's pale features went blank...slowly but surely an evil grin spread over her face.

"Both of my targets together? How convenient." the Doppelgänger said electronically before stepping into a sonic jog, sailing through the wind towards the tyre shed.

Kurtis gathered his brows, closed his eyes and raised one hand – with one blast of his mind he sent out a powerful telekinetic push towards her. The Doppelgänger showed no surprised as she was sent spinning through the night, twisting her torso as she landed in a pile of metal poles – Kurtis gasped as she gained balance and landed on an upright pole, standing one legged atop it. Lara ran towards Kurtis as the Doppelgänger was cast through the air, picking up her other pistol, strewn in the snow, as she dashed.

"She said '_targets'_ didn't she? Somebody has sent her for us then..." Lara told him as she aimed her Vectors at the balancing clone, Kurtis nodded and holstered his Boran X. The Doppelgänger hopped from the pole and landed in the snow below her, directly 100 yards in front of Lara and Kurtis, she began to make her way over to them in a teasingly slow stroll. Kurtis unsheathed his Chirugai and threw it quickly, sending it flying through the air as a blur of amber light, the Doppelgänger completely obvious as it didn't go near her – it spun towards the pole behind her.

In a quick flash of sparks the large upright pole had been halved by the blades of the Chirugai, the top half flew forward. As it fell it thwacked the clone with severe force, causing her to fall to the ground with shock and pain, but also crushing her under its weight in the snow. Kurtis raised his hand and grasped his glaive when it spun back into his reach, signalling for Lara to go quickly as they both grabbed one of the tyres and sprinted back into the Strahov warehouse.

As soon as they entered into the warmth of the building Kurtis turned on his heel, raised his palm again and locked the door into the scrap yard tightly to seal the Doppelgänger inside. Kurtis quickly led the way out of the building and into the main street towards his violated bike, using his telekinesis as he ran to wrench the slashed tires from the bike to quicken repair time. Lara reached him shortly and knelled beside the bike and passed him a tyre, watching in awe as he used his sheer strength to screw the tyres on without the need of a tool.

The Doppelgänger growled as she threw the pole off of her back with ease, turning and leaping over the fencing behind her and into the industrial estate road beyond it – ahead of her where her two targets, repairing a bike to make a getaway. Bursting into a superhuman sprint she lurched towards them in rage, blood red hair laying behind her in the wind as she neared-

-Kurtis turned the last bolt on the tyre.

The Doppelgänger readied to pounce at the female, seemingly called Lara, to rip her throat out in a swift movement. Kurtis quickly leapt atop the bike, stuck his key in, started the ignition and revved the engine.

Lara gasped as the Doppelgänger flew through the air straight towards her, mere feet away-

-Kurtis skidded the bike on it's side and caught the clone in her lurch, throwing her to the right, straight through a shop window. Lara leapt on the bike instantly and Kurtis revved straight into top speed, skidding down the street in a cast of snow and motion blur.

Lara's terror stricken heart began to thaw as they quickly vacated the Prague streets and headed out into snow speckled rural roads ahead, deciding to go simply drive and not look back until the fuel dipped dangerously low. Her arms wound tightly around Kurtis' as he revved the engine, causing the buildings that remained before the road plunged into the cool dark of the countryside to whir by unrecognisably.

Way, way back, sprawled out inside the wreck of a Greengrocers lay the Doppelgänger who slowly rose to her feet, dazed and disorientated. She spat and wiped her attire down as she recovered from the blow, swiftly stepping over the scattered fruit and vegetables around the linoleum floor.

The Doppelgänger leapt out of the broken window and looked ahead at the almost faded red tail light beam and growled, pulling out the phone and tapping in a number quickly, she raised it to her ears after one ring and let words fleet from her mouth at such a speed they were muffled to human ears, she listened to Karel on the receiving end before nodding to herself and flipping the phone closed.

With that she took off with great agility and speed in the direction of the exhaust smoke circling at her ankles and up along the road, deciding to watch and learn from her opponents before simply firing into them again.


	8. Trapped

Lara's eyes finally drifted open and she sat up from her seated droop over the handlebars of the Harley, the gentle cease of the engine thrumming under her seat the cause of her awakening. Well, that and the cold that ferociously bit at her exposed flesh.

Her blurred surroundings finally came into perspective, in front of her was a dingy row of small conjoined houses named 'Bates Motel', much to her disapproval, at the end of them was a small watchmen box where an older man sat deep in his newspaper, totally oblivious of her. She took a look behind her and sighed, nothing but slushy road and complete darkness, they were obviously far into the countryside now, much to her relief.

She heard something crunch and turned back to the watchmen box, Kurtis walked out from around the side of it through the ankle deep snow, holding her backpack loosely in his hands, he motioned for her to join him as he jangled a key idly in his other hand. Lara draped her leg over the bike and slipped down into the uncomfortable depth of the snow, trundling over to Kurtis as he headed towards the door of one of the Motel rooms and unlocked it, opened the door for her as she stepped inside the unlit room,

Kurtis flicked the switch, Lara and himself making the same unsurprised and disappointed moan as the room was bathed in meek light, showing off its less than tasteful interior.

The walls were drenched in a triangular shaped path of dampness, causing a large trail of green sludge to trickle down the wall and soak the already mossy mattress and duvet of the excuse of a bed pushed into the far right corner. Beside it was a bedside table draped almost ironically with a bright white doily, brighter even than the bump that swung and hissed from the ceiling like a living vine, and beside that two wooden chairs stacked atop each other, faded with age and neglect. Two doors were on the far wall, which, upon Lara's curiosity, led to a toilet which had actually been burned out, completely blackening the room, the other a wardrobe mostly containing coat hangers but with a few articles of clothing hung inside. A rat scurried from the bottom of the wardrobe into a hole in the skirting, causing Lara to tut and lean out of the stuffy space.

Lara closed both doors over and leaned against the toilet one, almost trying to entomb the horrendous site, she gave an exasperated moan before pushing from the door to pull the two chairs down and place them on the ragged carpeting. Kurtis walked over to her, placing the key inside one of the drawers and handing Lara her backpack, she unzipped it and looked inside. Kurtis had removed her holsters and both of their weapons while she had been asleep placed them inside the back to avoid giving the owner of the classy Bates Hotel (hopefully not named Norman) a coronary. He'd also stuffed some of his other possessions in there such as his wallet and the keys for the bike.

Lara pulled out one of her Vector R35's and checked it's clip, 5 rounds left, before slamming it back in and spinning it loosely around her index finger as Kurtis clipped the Chirugai to his belt and reattached his shoulder holster and Boran X.

Lara took one look at the bed, covered in slime from the damp wall and raised her eyes to Kurtis who was already facing her.

"You can have _it_."

Kurtis grinned, reaching into his pocket to discover he was out of cigarettes, he sighed and leaned back in the chair. He looked up to Lara who was looking down at her legs with the most curious expression, he chuckled.

"What's up? It looks like you just realised you had 'em." Kurtis grinned, referring to her weather reddened legs, Lara looked up and smiled. "I've just realised...these aren't actually shorts, I'd just rolled up my trousers and I've been walking around freezing for no reason – I must be slow today." she said in a worried tone, unfolding the tight, and now crumpled camouflage fabric down her legs. Kurtis couldn't help but laugh at the simplicity of this, placing his arms behind his head, Lara softly kicked his shin from her seated position opposite him at his mockery.

He flashed her a brilliant white smile as he laughed, to which Lara couldn't help but flare at, trying her best to conceal the redness much more vibrant than that of her now covered legs, she stopped spinning the Vector around her fingers and shoved it back into her backpack to detract attention from her cheeks. Kurtis suddenly removed his arms from around his head, his hands meeting at his knees so he could twiddle his thumbs idly, he looked up to Lara.

"Lara, do you mind If I ask you something?" he said, his tone soft, making Lara aware that he knew fine well he was about to touch a sensitive subject. However, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and nodded, crossing her legs and began drumming her fingers on the arm rest of the chair. Kurtis cleared his throat

"Forgive me if I'm intruding it's just, well, the papers didn't cover it much back then..."

Lara suddenly became anxious of what he might ask of her own past, she ceased drumming her fingers incessantly and folder her arms. "What is it Kurtis?"

Kurtis looked up at her, clearing his throat.

"What...what happened back in 1999?"

Lara froze, her eyes widening of their own will, everything around her seemed to stop in that instant, all she was very aware of was Kurtis' intense aqua gaze, like daggers through her brain, and his soft touch against her knee as he tried to revive her seemingly void mind.

Lara blinked hard and long, Kurtis biting his lip in regret and worry as she seemingly refused to look at him, he slowly retracted his hand from her unshakably still leg and sat back stiffly.

"I was travelling by camel across the Valley of the Kings, chasing a rumour I had heard about mysterious caverns having been discovered somewhere in the desert surrounding KV5..." Lara began, her eyes remaining closed throughout her retelling of the events that occurred from her unwilling release of Set's curse up to the Temple of Horus, Kurtis sitting interestedly, listening to her every word in deep thought.

"...as I ascended one of the many chambers that led back to the desert..." Lara suddenly became shaky, her hand almost vibrating where at lay at her thigh as she began to enter detail about her entombment, Kurtis spotted this and placed his warm hand over hers, this calmed her enough to open her eyes and pass him a weak , but nonetheless genuine smile.

"...as I was saying, I was making my way to the surface when ahead, standing at the exit was Werner.

Instantly I could tell that he wasn't the man I'd been hunted relentlessly by over the previous couple of days. His familiar Jackal walking stick lay at his feet and he seemed hoovering in stance like a man of his age should be, not demonic and possessed, we exchanged words and I was convinced he was just himself, my mentor, my friend. Suddenly,t he chamber shook, rocks began to drop loosely from the cavern ahead, and I assume the tremors from earlier were carrying forward.

I remember his voice as is it was yesterday he was calling to me, "_Quickly girl, before it collapses around you._", I bounded up the steps but the slope collapsed from under me, I leapt like I feel I never had in my life but only managed to grip a loose brick from the lip of the crevice. I briefly brushed the leathery skin of his hand as I leapt to him, to safety, but I had no chance whatsoever, the roof completely caved, separating us.

I can still feel that weight if I put my mind to it, the tonnes of the structure above me weighing me down like a rock sinking to the bed of the ocean. I couldn't possibly tell you how long I fell for, but the landing was the most brief yet intense moment of pain I had ever experienced."

Kurtis began to rub his thumb up and down her hand comfortingly, she let her eyes meet this gesture as she continued.

"Hours, maybe even days passed before anything memorable comes to mind from actually being trapped. I recall flashes of the horrible agony, dust in my mouth and _seeing_ the compete darkness around me but I can barely recall being scavenged from the ruins.

One memory I hold strongly is that some Scorpions from within the temple must've been scurrying around the rubble and came across my hand and attacked it ceaselessly, there must have been a lot of them as my hand was in complete torture, and the size of it with venom afterwards was almost like in cartoons, when the character hits their hand with a hammer or something." Lara smiled at this comparison before allowing her mouth to drop once more and continue.

"A group of north African tribesman came across the ruins of the Temple, after being drawn to it from their shanty town home miles away in the sands "_from the Gods above_" as they put it and began to excavate the collapsed chambers by hand until they found me, or what was left of me, buried under ruined pillars. They carried me all the way to their village and treated me with their mystical remedies along with any means of traditional cures they had at hand or locally within the desert. It was weeks before I was fully aware again, but even then it was touch and go.

After I finally began to put together the jigsaw that was the past weeks events I couldn't thank the particular Shaman who'd saved me, Putai, enough. After her and the rest of the tribe healed me to a state where I could walk around again, and I was essentially normal they escorted me to one of the larger populated areas within the vicinity of their town, Memphis, and bid me farewell with the invitation to visit them whenever I wanted...I really should take them up on that offer." Lara said, trailing off the end of her story with a personal thought, Kurtis waited until she became aware of her reverie, she shook her head and smiled, looking down at his hand on hers - her mind briefly crossing something zipped inside her backpack, a gift from Putai.

"Sorry, I guess I got carried away in the memories..." Lara said slightly embarrassed, removing her hand from under his to wipe her eye, which Kurtis was sure he had seen a tear forming on. Kurtis smiled sympathetically as he withdrew his hand, Lara smiled gratefully back at him and allowed her eyes to wander the rest of the room.

Kurtis shoved his hands in his pocket then and grinned with sheer content when he discovered a final, near destroyed cigarette at the bottom of his pocket. He delicately handled it and fished out his Zippo from the back pocket and stood up from the creaky chair, swiftly making his way across the carpet.

"I'm just stepping out for a cig, wouldn't want to give off passive smoking." he winked, hauling the thin door open to step outside into the cold, dark morning air.

Lara smiled and reached down for her backpack, placing it on her lap as she riffled through what was inside. Werner's notebook, her two pistols and thigh holsters, some bandages and gauze, the keys to Kurtis' Harley and his brown leather wallet. Lara allowed her fingers to trace the delicate and aged leather of his clip wallet, she felt _naughty_ about the temptation that suddenly arose to see what was inside. After endless seconds Lara bit her lip and removed it from the bag, flipping it open.

There was little cash, a few measly Koruna notes to be exact and a reasonable stack of cards stuffed in the respective holder, Lara, almost nervously removed this stack and began to go through them one by one.

A Visa for a Mister Jonathan Duncan, this made her frown but she assumed this was somewhat reasonable, she knew next to nothing about his past and he could easily be on the run just like her. Next was a Drivers Licence for a Mister David Masterson, Lara ignored this and riffled through the rest yet more unfamiliar names popped up – Adrian Smith, Drake Letterman, Gregory Boyle, Gary Hartford.

Lara finally stopped dead on a card when the name Kurtis was imprinted in thick, upper-case typing, she began to read it.

1996

Nom: Kurtis Trent

Nationalité: Américain

Date de naissance: Juin 26th 1972

Age: 23

Rang: Soldat 2e Classe

5617254622209

According to one of the logos printed on it, it was an I.D card for the French Foreign Legion.

Lara was slightly surprised at this, comparing the dates of the cards he must've went into hiding as a teen and joined the legion around 1991, when he was 19. She didn't know what to think of it though, she peeked at a few of the cards jutting out behind it and all of them seemed to be property of Kurtis Trent, what was he hiding from as a child that made him stick to a name and become a soldier.

Lara then realised by the annum to which he had been of service he had qualified for French citizenship and clearly wanted to relocate their from wherever he was native, America she assumed.

The next card seemed to be written in a numerical code, obviously to disguise if it was over found on the street. Lara cracked it within seconds, numbers represented letters, like '1' for 'A' and '2' for 'B'. Lara read through the code to discover it was for an illegal immigration service that worked in underground Paris, she started to doubt Kurtis' motives for relocating to France, she moved onto the next card and began to read.

Lara dropped the wad of cards in that instant, allowing them to scatter across the carpet, her mouth dropping slightly along with them - her gloved hands began to shake.

Anger, surprise, confusion and shock overcame her in that very instant, however she snapped that single card up again and read through it, reassuring what she had seen. The card was badly scathed so most of the details were missing.

Name: Kurtis Trent

Age: 25

Rank: Head of Foreign Operations

Reporting Captain: Merten Gunderson

The rest was unreadable, but what she had read affirmed that she had to get away from Kurtis as soon as possible, she pocketed the card and reached into her bag, throwing Kurtis' keys to the floor in her hurry and removing her holsters and pistols. With speed and familiarity she quickly latched the holsters to her belt, strapped them around her thighs before standing and throwing her backpack over her shoulders hastily. She raised her two pistols and swiftly made for the door, she could not and would not allow her conscious to get in her way.

Kurtis stepped out into the darkness of the Czech morning, the hotel owner leaned out of his watchmen box to see who had opened a door and leaned back in when he saw Kurtis.

Kurtis placed the cigarette between his lips and lit it up, taking a long drag as he looked up at the clear and starless expanse of sheer black across the sky. He exhaled a large plume of smoke mistily into the chilly air and leaned against one of the door beams, his mind still caught up in Lara's experiences in Egypt.

He felt so very, very sorry for her, the way she had looked was so vulnerable, so fragile and hurt - that was not the Lara he had barely gotten to know over the past few days.

He took another long drag from the cigarette, allowing his mind to shift away from those disturbing events and began to think of the bigger picture.

What _were_ himself and Lara going to do?

Gunderson was still after them and had seemingly created an indestructible clone of Lara to aid his hunt, Lara was mistakenly accused of murder back in Paris and the Police would obviously have managed to trace her to here after the events at the Louvre, they would be on her trail now...

...and he hadn't been completely honest with her.

Kurtis felt his stomach do a somersault then, he had this sort of premonition that something bad was going to happen related to hat thought.

He would obviously have to tell Lara about that someday, preferable soon, because if she found out by her own means she could easily misconstrue the events which could be diabolical for the two of them - splitting up was an absolutely terrible idea at this crucial time.

Kurtis exhaled his last large puff of smoke into the night air after one long draw and flicked the cigarette into the darkness of the country fields beside him. He pushed off of the beam and looked out at the sky for a few moments before turning on his heel and pushing the door inward, he gasped when he was faced with the barrels of two pistols in at his surprised face.

"Lara...?"

Lara smacked the gun to his head, throwing her leg passed him to kick the door shut, she guided him with a push of her weapon towards the wet bed, which she forced him to sit down on. Kurtis thought that maybe it was the mysterious Doppelgänger from earlier, but it was definitely the real Lara, he raised his hands in confusion and looked up at her resentful yet calm eyes.

"Lara, what is it? What's going on?" he asked in genuine confusion, which caused her two grind the barrel further into his head, he frowned in anger but remained calm when he realised Lara must've been confused or something, and that this wasn't a usual stick-up situation which he could easily finish.

"Don't toy with me, prick. I know everything,Kurtis..._if_ that _is_ your real name." she spat, bringing her weapon back slightly as Kurtis looked up at her, still confused.

"Lara- he almost breathed it pleadingly as he struggled to control his anger and worry – I _really_ don't know what you mean." he said to her, Lara growled and holstered one of the pistols, stuffing her hand into her pocket to remove his I.D card and throw it at his face.

It smacked off of his forehead and fell into his lap lightly, he looked at it and in that instant it all made sense.

"I want an explanation and I want it _now_." Lara demanded, training her one pistol carefully on him as she pulled the chair at her side closer to sit and listen to him. Kurtis flicked the card off of his lap, almost in disgust, and raised his serene eyes to her own.

"I was 25 and pre-acquainted with working in illegal trades..." he began.


	9. Unexpected Visitor

The words fell out of his mouth steadily, his forehead doused in sweat.

Lara, after listening to the first 5 minutes of Kurtis' story, halted him and rose from her seat. She motioned with her gun for him to join her, Kurtis stopped talking and obeyed, praying he hadn't messed up their alliance as he rose up.

Lara cleared her throat, cocking the gun back towards herself slightly.

"Right, the Shadow War and the events surrounding it frequently interrupted your daily life - the only way to escape, make use of your power and to make cash was to be a hired gun...how can you prove to me this particular card isn't valid?" Lara asked, lowering the gun ever so slightly to show warmness – she didn't truly think he was a traitor after listening to his story, but assumptions could easily get her killed at this point.

Kurtis cleared his own throat, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"I knew Gunderson was a criminal, of course, but I was surprised to see him at the Louvre and further make the connection he was a Cabal member...I really had no clue. I do know, however, he's only there for power and money, it isn't like a personal vendetta against me or you – he's got a stake in this that I don't know."

"I hope my word is proof enough." Kurtis said, eyes calmly fixated on Lara's the whole time he explained himself.

Lara holstered her pistol.

"I sincerely hope so, Kurtis."

Kurtis couldn't help but smile, murmuring 'thank god' into himself, Lara noticed this and continued her inquisitive nature of the time - "What in particular are you thanking _him_ for, Kurtis?"

Kurtis looked up at her, his face serious with a hint of uncertainty, he seemed to have trouble deciding what to reply with – he decided to blurt out his honest feelings, cheesy as they seemed.

"Well, Lara, I just can't believe I nearly lost the only partner I have and will probably ever know – there's no way I could've handled this situation alone. You've saved my life countless times in the last 48 hours and, well, you're the only person aside myself that can truly help me finish this." he said, the way he just came out with his statement making Lara somewhat speechless – she soon gave him a smile.

"Just so you know the feeling's mutual, I'm glad I have an ally in this...a friend."

Kurtis, who had began to gather his motorcycle keys and the contents of his wallet from the floor, smiled at her upon her reply.

It was an unusual moment of softness for the both of them, awkwardness aside they simply sat back and relaxed, there was little chance they would get to sleep and it wasn't wise to try – anyone, or anything, could be just outside the door.

-

The Doppelgänger pulled her ear back from the door, a smile on her lips, the 'allies' were in for a shock when she burst in them.

"They're clever for humans however, and they've outsmarted me once, I'd be better with a weapon more apt to the situation." she thought to herself, turning from the door.

The Doppelgänger walked along the creaky wooden deck that supported the small motel area, making her way over to the little box the owner had been sat in.

Unfortunately, for him, he was now slumped over a blood soaked newspaper with a large hole through the middle of his head, mouth agape.

The Doppelgänger gave the door to the watchmen hut a forceful shove and entered, grinning when she saw a Remington shotgun and some shells under the counter top the owner was sat at – she grabbed the gun and loaded it. Aside from the weapon the room was basically bare of any useful items, she lifted the bloody newspaper from the corpse and briefly glanced it the current article, recognising the female in the wet red picture-

**POLICE HUNT FOR CROFT KILLER**

_The manhunt for world-famous archaeologist Lara Croft has extended to Prague after the female, suspected of the 'Monstrum' killings in France was spotted near the crime scene of murdered art collector Mathias Vasiley a short time after his mutilated corpse was found. Police have confirmed her capture is their "top priority" and they will use every method at their disposal to secure her for questioning. _

-she dropped the paper and headed outside into the wintry night, it was then she was blinded by a shocking flash, the Doppelgänger shielded her eyes with her arm and looked into the distant skies.

A police helicopter was speeding towards the motel from the far hills, it's searchlight blazing right onto the motel, in light of the knowledge she just acquired from the newspaper she sprinted into the security of some nearby foliage and awaited their arrival, presumably to capture Lara and Kurtis, and planned her next move.

**-**

In the instant she heard that unmistakable sound of a nearing helicopter, Lara leapt to her feet and ran to the motel door, cracking it open ever so slightly to peer out into the dark countryside – she spotted the police chopper straight away and dove back into the safety of the room.

"Shit! Kurtis, it's the police!" Lara gasped, ripping her backpack up from the floor and onto her shoulders, Kurtis cursed into himself and leapt up from the floor wielding the Boran X. As soon as they were prepared the stalked towards the door, cracking it open ever so slightly to peer out into the snowy black outside.

The helicopter had landed hastily into the deep snow on the opposite side of the seemingly endless straight road that split through the vast rolling tundra around them – six officers, clad in heavy duty leather riot squad uniforms, were making their way over towards the motel with large machine guns at hand. Lara leaned back from the door and raised her pistols, looking to Kurtis, they gave each other a nod – they had no choice but to run out guns blazing and hope to survive the barrage they would receive.

"I'll go out first." Lara breathed, clicking the safety off of the vectors and preparing to sprint.

Without warning or consideration of time she kicked the door open and pounced onto the icy porch with her guns raised, she did not expect the site that now faced her.

Six officers strewn in the crimson snow, some decapitated or limbless, all dead.

"K..Kurtis, I think you better come out now." Lara said in shock, allowing her arms to falter down to her sides.

Kurtis stepped out of the room with his gun raised and gasped, he expected that the officers had some sort of back-up they had no chance of evading and that Lara had decided they had to give up, but they had all been killed within the few seconds Lara had prepared to attack them.

Kurtis holstered his handgun took stance by Lara, both of them fixated on the gruesome and mysterious site – what could have done it?

Lara heard a rustling from some bushes nearby and trained her pistols on them, cocking her head to Kurtis to do the same, within moments something flew out from the bushes and landed a few feet before them with a wet smack onto the wooden porch.

A severed head, still wearing protective police head gear, peered up at them.

Lara fell back slightly, guns still trained on the shrubbery it had been thrown from, Kurtis muttered something into himself, his gun also aimed at the bushes – suddenly, as if it was fate, they both turned to each other with a look of realisation.

"It's her."

The Doppelgänger walked out from the bushes and made her over to the remnants of her victims, the casualness she displayed oozing confidence even though various weapons were trained on her.

"I find it very rude that these young men thought it fair to steal my job from me, it's hard enough to find employment let alone have it stolen from you by police forces." The Doppelgänger argued in her synth tones, prodding at some of the bodies with her biker boots as she looked down at their lifeless, sliced bodies.

Lara looked to the particular corpse her clone was looking down at and noticed, in the hand of his only attached arm, was a ring of keys.

Lara turned her head to Kurtis who was conveniently watching her, she mouthed "get to the helicopter" before turning back to the Doppelgänger who now faced them, her own Scorpion X's raised, one trained on each of them.

"GO!" Lara screamed, holstering her pistols somersaulting forward over the banister of the porch and down into the snowy parking area where the Doppelgänger was stood.

Kurtis, upon hearing this, fired some quick shots towards the Doppelgänger whilst hopping the railing, landing after Lara had flew onto her feet and sprinted forwards.

Lara ran towards the Doppelgänger who fired round after round at her, her clumsy run from side to side added to her ducking at random successfully evaded the shots – as she neared her copy it gave off a super fast roundhouse kick, Lara anticipated this however and fell into a skid on her back, sliding under her lifted leg and into the crimson snow she stood on.

Lara literally had seconds to grab the keys get back onto her feet, she ripped them from the corpses hand and prepared to flip back before the Doppelgänger placed a foot on her shoulder, weighing her down.

She raised her other foot swiftly, planning to crush it down on Lara's throat, in an adrenaline fuelled instant Lara looked to the corpse, unsheathed a combat knife from his belt and pointed it up at her neck – the Doppelgänger slammed her foot down, unaware of the blade, and impaled it right through the boot, she gave out an electronic whine as she reeled off to the side in surprised agony.

Lara rolled backwards into stance and sprinted through the thick snow, across the road and towards the stationary helicopter in the field ahead.

Kurtis was sat inside awaiting her arrival anxiously, he threw the side door open and hauled her inside with him, slamming the door behind her and dragging her into the cockpit – Lara, familiar with flying choppers, started the engine and set the controls to get them into the air.

The Doppelgänger let out another sonic scream of pain and fury, ripping the blade out of her foot and limping with great speed towards the slowly ascending helicopter – Lara and Kurtis decided it best not to watch her in case she distracted them and focussed on speedily getting away. As they got a few feet into the air Lara began to spin the metal beast around, away from the motel, unaware of the furious clone who was hanging for dear life to the landing skids.

The Doppelgänger removed one of the walkie talkies she acquired from a store in the city earlier from her pocket, turned it on and with great skill threw it through a small gap in the doorway into the body of the raising helicopter – satisfied, she loosened her grip and fell down into the cushion of snow below her.

Lara raised the copter into the air with great precision and speed before quickly guiding it in the direction it was faced at a steady pace, all the time repeating various expletives as she shook violently – Kurtis was strewn in the co-pilot chair panting, face in his hands.

"Kurtis, I need to get home...to England. I...I need to get my head around what's happening and sort out a plan, do you mind?" Lara said, regaining composure as she toyed with the settings of the metal bird.

"We're in this together and, besides, I don't have anywhere to anyway." Kurtis said, leaning up and removing his shoulder holster from his broad back – Lara looked over at him pitifully, life must've been hard (if it wasn't hard enough now) for him, for them both.

Lara switched on a small screen on the control panel which turned out to be a voice activated Satellite Navigation system.

**-**

"Guide me to Croft Manor at 1 Henshingly Avenue, Surrey, England." a familiar voice echoed through the walkie talkie, casting a wide smile to spread over the Doppelganger's ruby lips.

She rose up from her crouch in the snow, allowing the still glaring 2-way-radio to fall from her gloved hands and into the deep, blood soaked snow – she closed her topaz eyes and drew in a massive breath of the fresh night air before throwing herself into an unbelievably fast animal sprint.

Her boots smashed against the ice and frost of the grassy land she sped through with ease, her mind her only awareness, her goal, to beat her two adversaries to their destination - they were in for a little surprise when the reached the United Kingdom.


	10. Home Sweet Home

The Doppelganger's movements flowed seamlessly into motion blur, a stark flash of wet red hair flaying behind her as she traversed miles in minutes with fluid ease.

In just under two hours of solid sprinting she had reached the violently raining coast at Calais and was ready for a fast swim over the English Channel. She darted along the Jetty whilst knocking local night owls right into the low tide in her haste, reaching the edge she threw herself with a great dive into the cold purple waters and instantly began pumping her arms through the sharp waves.

Effortlessly she crossed the channel, her mind wandering to Lara and Kurtis.

By her estimations she had around a half hour's lead over the pair and she was determined to beat them to Surrey, to the address she assumed was the females residence – she'd made her plans the instant she had heard where they were headed and was exhilarated just at the prospect of their reaction to what she had up her sleeve.

Whilst she'd been musing the Doppelgänger had successfully crossed the channel, she swam over to some rocks protruding from the water and surfaced before throwing herself precariously towards the white cliffs of Dover parallel to her place.

Scaling the chalky cliffs took her all but 40 seconds in a series of acrobatic leaps before she reached the lip of the cliff and pulled up onto the slick grass, setting off the instant she vaulted up onto land – an internal map guiding her as she pounded over the muddy land.

The Doppelgänger's head snapped down when the phone in her pocket began to vibrate, in a movement to fast to the human eye she whipped it from her pocket and accepted the call without greeting those at the other end.

"Where are you, child?" spooled silky tones from the receiver, the Doppelgänger quickly explained what had happened back in Prague and where she was now telling her master that she planned to "cut them off in Surrey and kill the pair there swiftly" - her true motive a bit more psychologically deviant.

Typing was heard through the receiver and shortly after Karel replied "Yes, well, _when_ and _if _you succeed in this there will be a chopper waiting for you just outside of the Croft Estate which will take you to Istanbul, I will send you a text with the rendezvous point at which you will meet Gunderson – the bald fellow I had with me when we left you in Prague, he, in turn, will lead you to me. Understood?"

"Affirmative." The Doppelgänger informed him in synthesised tones, snapping the phone shot and pocketing it once more, the vibration that followed soon after she assumed was the message with the meeting place in Turkey so she left it unanswered – she never slowed her raging sprint for a second.

A wide smile cross the Doppelgänger's lips when she realised she was only a half hour from Surrey, this sudden giddiness urging her to pick up the speed.

Suddenly she skidded to a mighty halt on a lone country road and hopped some cattle fencing nearby, at the side of the road where she had stopped lay a large warning post stamped with government seals informing readers that there was an British Army 'explosion test area' ahead.

Within a few seconds the Doppelgänger appeared back in the road, her arms full of various pieces of equipment, she instantly returned to her sonic sprinting and within 10 or 15 minutes she was leaving her motion blur in the wake of a large metal sign declaring "Welcome To Surrey, drive slowly."

**-**

Lara, alert yet completely exhausted simultaneously peered down through the window of the copter at her side and affirmed she was crossing over the familiar outskirts of Surrey, they would be at the manor in a minutes - Kurtis lay asleep at her opposite side in the co-pilot chair.

She smiled at this and reached over to punch him softly on the arm, his cerulean eyes shot open in an instant, almost before she actually touched him.

"Rise and shine, and welcome to England." she declared, turning her head back to the rain pounded wind shield, Kurtis yawned whilst sticking his thumb up at her in approval.

"Should I be drinking tea or something now?" he questioned in his tired tones, Lara rolled her eyes at him.

"If you wish but to be honest I hate the stuff and would rather have beer or vodka in a second, but who am I to forbid you the pansy ass, maybe a scone aswell?" she said flatly, her eyes darting back and forth from the side window to affirm their location.

As Kurtis went to retort with something undoubtedly witty he gasped as the Helicopter tipped to the side due to Lara swerving the helicopter down (deliberately hard) so she could make a landing on the large country path leading to the entrance gate of her home.

Kurtis took in the site ahead of him, past wet yellow brick walls, and turned to Lara with his lips parted.

"No – fucking – way."

"Yes – fucking – way"

Lara landed the copter haphazardly with a loud clash, exiting the side door in an instant and stepping out into the night despite the tempest overhead.

Kurtis soon joined her, his arms folded, the fabric of his black t-shirt clinging to his muscular chest with moisture – he looked ahead at the massive estate in sheer awe.

"Welcome to Croft Manor." Lara introduced him, having to speak loudly over the pounding weather – Kurtis smirked before joining her In a stride towards the black iron entrance gate.

**-**

Her limbs never stopped, not even for a second, carrying out the task at hand with grace and speed – her booted feet kicking thumping off of chequerboard marble floors, stone walls and wooden balustrades as she left long coils of black wire in her wake.

When she was finally contented with the job the Doppelgänger stood in the midst of the darkened entrance hall and dropped a small metallic box at her feet which was attatched to the curling wires nestled around every inch of the estate she reached.

Suddenly, a flash of thunder outside cast the black and white pattern of the marble floor into light, highlighting the massive pool of blood splatted in the centre, running over to mingle around the edges of an ancient but still ticking Grandfather clock. The Doppelgänger heaved something up from the floor, something to dark to see in the shadows, and pressed a small pressure pad to her left which allowed the wooden door at her back to pop open, sending the cold and rain fleeting into the airy and empty household.

The Doppelgänger and the apparent mass of black fabric she had bundled in her strong arms out the front door paused when the sound of a helicopters blades could be heard through the raging elements above, as it settled just beyond the front gate the Doppelgänger dropped the bulking lot from her arms before lifting it up again, this time, to face towards the gate – gingerly she raised the humanoid figure and blended behind the folds of it's suit.

**-**

Lara powered ahead of Kurtis who had decided to hang back until she actually got into the household, she was surprising herself simply by how much she wanted to get home but when she reached the gateway she couldn't help but feel her joyful heart accelerate in time with her movements.

A familiar figure stood beyond the gate, just ahead of the front door of the massive red and white brick mansion – stood in a familiar pose, arms behind his back.

"Winston! It's me, Lara! Open the gate!" Lara called to him, waving her arms frantically in glee at the sight of her dear old friend who she felt like she hadn't seen in years – a huge grin spread across her perfect features as he too raised his frail little arm and began to wave back at her.

At first this reaction evoked a long lost happiness in Lara, but something wasn't quite right, almost ten seconds passed and he was _still_ waving at her despite Lara not returning the gesture and calling on him incessantly yet politely to open the gate.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

As Winston continued to wave his head literally fell off of his shoulders and rolled to the ground beside him, leaving a trail of gore in it's path - Lara screamed as the most horrible mix of emotions began to travel through her frozen heart.

Lara beat at the gate with her fists, and gasped in shock, confusion and fury as behind the body of her decapitated butler and friend stood the Doppelgänger, revealing that she was in fact using the long dead Winston as a human puppet.

Lara screamed as tears began to roll down her icy cheeks, her emotions unable to settle as she felt a wave of them sweep over her at once, she wanted to break down and cry but at the same time grab the Doppelgänger and rip her throat out with her leather sheaved hands – in this moment of trauma Lara could do nothing but sob violently and fall to her knees, pressing herself against the wet gate.

The Doppelgänger dropped Winston's corpse and slowly advanced along the gravel pathway, hands by her sides as she walked as if frozen in time – Lara couldn't help but watch her hypnotizing movements as she advanced towards the gate, her mind thinking out all the scenarios of Lara's preallocated revenge.

Then, she stopped, halfway between the estate and the decorative iron gateway separating her from her visual twin, as her red hair whipped about her shoulders in the breath and tears of above she reached into the leather of her pockets and removed a small metal device, just big enough to fit snugly into the centre of her palm – as if to savour the beauty and craftsmanship of the mansion the Doppelgänger turned back to the façade of the building, to the corpse forming a river of crimson rain water around the pathway before turning back to face Lara.

Internally, the Doppelgänger began a countdown.

_3..._

Lara stood, suddenly, she realised what was about to happen and pivoted on her heel.

_2..._

Kurtis, ran towards the gate after the sound of Lara sobbing and screaming violently reached him back at the helicopter.

_1..._

"Kurtis, fucking move! Run!" Lara barked at him, sprinting towards him before he obeyed her and ran in sync with her towards the helicopter, totally confused as of why she was running away from her home for dear life.

_...Zero._

The Doppelganger's thumb put pressure on a small red button at the tip of the object in her hand.

In the instant that Lara threw herself and Kurtis down to the ground for safety all of her sense were assaulted – the all to familiar smell of flame and carnage itself ascended into her nostrils, the sight of blinding white overcame her, the taste of dust and heat entering her parted lips and the pain of the ultimate cataclysm of rubble and metal colliding into a heap of nothingness pounding into her exposed ears.

The Doppelgänger sprinted off to her right in a second, leaping over the remnants of a horse shaped water fountain and back into Surrey – her mobile phone, unbeknownst to her, clattering from her pockets

Seconds that felt like a millennium passed before Lara forced herself to peak from her position strewn on the ground, her eyes cast over her shoulder and her tears formed thanks to her emotionally volatile heart and soul.

Croft Manor was no more, nothing but a clumsy pyramid of heirlooms and debris, dancing in the beat of flames.

Lara raised herself to her knees and howled in emotional agony to the remainder of the moon, the sun began to rise in the distance.


	11. Romeo & Juliet

As a fire plundered through the remnants of Lara's home and the flames of the sun began to wake cockerels in rural Surrey a personal little fire grew inside Lara's form - "_I am going to fucking kill her, I am going to grab her and pummel her face with the flat end of a shovel until the bitch chokes on her own mutant blood._"

Lara flew up from her previously distraught place on the wet gravel and dashed through what was left of the manor gates, raising her pistols as Kurtis followed swiftly behind.

"Lara..." he said uncertainly, trying to treat her appropriately in the state he assumed she was in.

She turned to him then and for the first time he found himself frightened of her, her eyes, swollen and red from tears were alight with the most ferocious rage and blood-lust Kurtis had ever seen since, well, himself after he found his father's mutilated corpse in Paris.

_Kurtis clung to the lip of the window sill and with a telekinetic boost vaulted up whilst twisting to smash the window pane open with a kick, in the instant he was inside his old bedroom he made his way familiarly towards the living room._

_As he traversed through the hallways he couldn't help but notice all of his stuff had been untouched in his room, packs of Tobacco unopened and all of his No Doubt posters still clinging to the red painted walls - "Dad must still want to preserve my memory." he thought, suddenly returning to his panicking state of yore._

_He stopped in front of the closed door to the Living room of his Father's rented high-rise flat and suddenly reassessed the whole reason he was here – things hadn't worked out in the Legion and he was literally desperate to reconcile with his estranged Father who he longed to just see again, they could talk things over and maybe settle the fire between them._

_When he arrived at the flat the door had been locked, nobody was answering his knocks and the lock did not respond to the shape of his key – assuming he was out he went downstairs, and that's when the panic set in._

_Due to the amount of break-ins at his father's building there was a registers book in which tenants were to sign in and out when leaving and returning to the high-rise, under his Father's name it was listed that the last time he had left and returned to the flat was 2 weeks ago._

_Worried about him he had scaled the side of the building, reached the window of his old bedroom, kicked it in and found himself stood now before the eerily quiet entrance to the living room._

_Kurtis raised his index finger and nudged the slightly ajar door open with a sustained creak, the scene was slowly but surely revealed to him._

_It was nothing but a painting of furniture and gore, literal parts of his father were strewn across the room in a flurry of carmine liquid, all that truly remained of his Dad was the haunting image of a pair of legs sat at the couch with no upper body settled against the bloody leather – Kurtis span and ran into the hallway muttering and screaming angry drabble as he destroyed the walls with his bare hands in rage._

_After hours Kurtis awoke to find himself in his old bed, his eyes puffy and his head pounding._

"_I'll get who did this, Dad." he said to the apartment itself before lifting a blood soaked package, addressed to him he had found in the kitchen and leaping from the window._

_As he landed gracefully from his inhuman drop he vanished into the approaching night, hands in his pockets, rage in his heart._

Kurtis shook his head from the reverie and went to put an arm on Lara's shoulder, she was now faced away from him.

The instant his fingers brushed her dirty skin she spun and landed a powerful kick to the centre of his chest, sending him sprawling through the air and right into the hard metal of the mangled gate.

"Stand back cunt, this has nothing to do with you!" Lara warned him, training a pistol on his chest as she looked around at the distance, a picture insanity, her other pistol following her eyes search for the Doppelgänger in the blazing surroundings.

Kurtis, ignoring her attack and warning made of madness and fury stood, raising his hands as a signal of calmness as he slowly approached her. Upon noticing his stance Lara snapped around to face him, training a pistols on him as he neared her.

"Lara, I'm not going to say I know how you feel cause I truly can't imagine what you must be going through right now...but, for me, I want you to holster your guns and walk over to me slo-

Kurtis didn't get to finish his sentence as a single shot hit him painfully and instantly through the shoulder, he winced in agony as the warm damp began to soak his shirt, in that instant he literally dove towards Lara who stood with a single smoking barrel raised towards him.

He tackled her down to the ground, several shots flying into the air as he struggled to pin her wild arms beneath him, Lara looked up at him in a mix of tears, trauma and terrifying anger as they rolled around in the gravel which had made crimson rivulets out of the blood of the corpse nearby.

"Get off of me you fucking bastard, you're with _her_ aren't you? I'll kill the pair of you!" Lara screamed at him, causing his heart to race as he held her weight down.

"Lara, for fuck sake are you going to _kill_ me now?" his voice lingered on the word, "Is this what it's come to? I know you've lost everything in an instant but she's gone Lara, if you want to find her we can look but calm the fuck down!" Kurtis pleaded more angrily than he wishes we had, watching as she stopped firing and struggling and looked him dead in the eyes.

Her fury softened, causing her perfect features to mould into sheer distraught sadness.

"She's gone." he breathed once more, raising her up with himself as they both stood, their arms burnt from the heat of the fiery debris beside them – Lara broke down once more, throwing herself into Kurtis' waiting, strong arms.

Her sobs were so violent she wretched, gripping to his hot, tanned flesh for dear life as her emotions poured from her soul and out of her stinging eyes – Kurtis began to shush her softly, patting the small of her back as she slowly began to calm down.

It was then she carefully pulled back from his comforting embrace and ran a gloved hand across her tear, dirt and blood streaked face before looking up to Kurtis' slightly taller height, she took his hand in hers as he looked down at her softly and smiled.

"Are you...ok?" he whispered over the crackle of flames, she didn't even respond, for some reason, she couldn't. Lara simply leaned forward and put her weight onto her upright toes and brought his lips to her own.

They kissed, in the midst of the moist traumatic and horrifying event of her life since Egypt she threw her arms around his broad shoulders and kissed him.

The salt of her tears and the dryness of both of their lips added added a painful and strange tasting twist to the already abnormal experience, Kurtis couldn't help but respond to the action, pulling her against his own form and moulding his lips and shape to her own.

Lara brushed her soft cheek against the prickly stubble of his own as she withdrew from the impulsive and unexplainable, to herself, moment they both shared - she allowed her hands to falter from his neck and fall to his strong waist where his hands lay on her own body.

"Lara..." he breathed, it was almost a question, she looked up from the bleeding puncture she had put in his shoulder, and then further up at his crystal blue eyes with the most unfathomable expression before smiling slightly and parting her lips to respond.

"I..."

It was then three police cars, sirens glaring and lights spinning, leapt over the verge of hills and that paved the way to Croft Manor, skidding to a halt in front of the gates which were now on fire, the flames snaking wildly up the melting black paint on the bars. They both snapped around in that instant, one of Kurtis' arms still around Lara's waist as he unclipped his Boran X, Lara also drawing her Vectors and training them on the cops.

Two officers stepped out of each of the three cars, all dressed in normal police attire despite the gravity of the situation just beyond them, a national treasure now lying in a heap of rock and fire.

They all had different weaponry drawn, all of them trained on either Lara or Kurtis, one of them stepped forward, his skin, made of waving tints of orange and gold from the flames – he marked his handgun on Lara as he spoke.

"Right, Romeo and Juliet, I want you both to drop the weapons and come forward with your hands-

Suddenly, he froze, his face twisting in recognition as he squinted at Lara's beautiful features twisted into a snarl, he grinned

-I don't believe it, guys, it's fucking loony Lara! We found the crazy bitch and she's only gone and blew up her own priceless fucking home!" he laughed in his thick English accent, the rolls of fat on his stomach giggling amidst his remarks – his colleges, further back, were half shocked and half over the moon, thinking of the reward they would get for finding the Monstrum and her assistant.

"I bet _you_- he said, now moving his guns aim over to Kurtis chest -joined along with her for any way to get a go on those nice big tits, eh, cunt?" he continued, taunting and laughing further, getting a rise out of his fellow cops further back.

Lara shot a look to Kurtis who, to her surprise, was holstering his weapon - and further to her confusion he used the arm still around her waist to twist her body behind him, defensively, he stood before her, arms hauntingly calm by his sides.

The officer sighed.

"You're not making this easy...look, Casanova, I bet everything she told you about how if you helped her kill hundreds of innocent people and harvest their organs you could join her in her plot to take over the world sounded great or whatever. Thing is, that's just some bat shit idea she got from her silly fucking fall under some rocks in Egypt, and it really fucked her up in the head...I mean look, she blew up her own fucking home and- he paused, only now noticing the two parts of Winston's separated corpse -you are one pair of sick fucks." he spat in disgust, clicking the safety off of his pistol.

Lara went to make a run for it when Kurtis arm, still protectively around her, kept her in place – he held her back as the officer approached, turning to look at her.

"Trust me, Lara." he said, looking her deep in the eyes as the flames behind her that scalded her exposed flesh were reflected in his icy eyes, almost thawing them - she nodded and he removed his arm.

Kurtis turned back to the officer who was still slowly stalking towards them and without warning threw his arms to out at his sides with a groan, his eyes glazing over into pure white, causing the cop to skid to a halt in shock and fear – Kurtis then raised his arms forward, palms out to face the all 6 of the cops ahead of him.

Lara took a peak behind her at the sound of rubble tumbling, and found, with a gasp, massive chunks of flaming rock levitating slowly into the air from the remains of the Manor, perfectly in sync with each other as they rose into the dawn sky.

Kurtis, still stuck in his telekinetic trance, mentally halted the rocks ascension, smirking inwardly at the sound of the cops fearfully retreating into their cars, as soon as he heard one of their engines start he threw himself from the trance and shoved a single arm forward – the white hot wreckage behind him imitating this movement and hurtling through the air towards the cars.

They collided, each of the cars and the officers in them totally wiped out under the weight of beautifully intricate patterns of rock from the building and scalded by the flames licking the ancient stone, Lara stepped out from behind Kurtis and took in the sight.

"You can move things with your mind?" Lara asked, still amazed by the events she had just witnessed, Kurtis nodded without looking at her. "Yep'" he answered shortly, turning to face her. Lara looked up at him and gave him a weak smile, wiping some of the soot and dirt from her tear streaked face.

"Thanks, you saved my...our lives." she said softly, holstering her pistols. He gave her a short wink in reply, causing her heart to accelerate just a little. "Don't mention it." he said huskily, turning on his heel to sit on the remains of an overturned plant pot to his left, Lara joined him soon after.

Lara couldn't help but take in the sight of some of her familiar possessions either broken, melting or scorched black beyond recognition, her face turned down at the corners involuntarily – Kurtis took in her solemn expression and placed a large, warm hand on her knee, she turned to him and smiled gratefully.

"I didn't think I could handle something like this after Egypt, but, you...helped me, Kurtis." Lara said, turning back to look at the fiery rubble, although her sentence didn't entirely make sense, Kurtis took from it that he had somehow helped her overcome the most horrible trauma of losing not only her friend who lay before them but her home, and everything she once owned, just by being with her to comfort her.

Lara suddenly rose to her feet and crunched over the shattered glass strewn over the gravel, causing Kurtis to be brought back from his thoughts into reality as he watched her approach what looked like a harp, blackened from the flames and missing many of it's strings – Lara hulked the massive thing up and threw it aside, picking up a small black object, that could easily have been a bit of roasting rock, and returned to him.

She held it out for him to see, one of his eyebrows arched as he met her eyes - "Yeah, it's a cell phone Lara, but wha-

Lara held out a finger to stop him, beginning to look through things on the phone as she spoke.

"This isn't mine, or Winston's, and it was laying just about where _she_- the thought of her sent venom flooding through her heart, but she resisted the anger -was standing before she blew my fucking house up." Lara said, Kurtis sat up from the plant pot and watched from her side as she looked through things on the phone.

It was when Lara found the one and only text message on the phone that her heart sank, and she couldn't help but murmur her disbelief – Kurtis peered over her side.

"_Here are the directions I spoke of my child, first, you have to head just a mile east of Croft Manor and you will find a helicopter waiting for you there, enter the following destination into the auto-pilot system and the chopper will fly you there – Gunderson will meet you at the destination and he in turn will drive you to me, however, I hope whatever it is you planned on doing in Surrey has killed our two young friends, as they could become quite a nuisance later."_

Lara read on and discovered that Karel was leading the Doppelgänger to Cappadocia, Turkey – this struck a long lost memory from Lara's time at university, when she studied a paper on biblical myths and had learned that the Nephilim were said to roam under the depths of Cappadocia millions of years ago.

"So, Karel is alive, Gunderson is working for him and the pair made a psychotic clone of me to try and kill us, or at least emotionally destroy me." Lara assessed, Kurtis placing an arm on her shoulder, she turned to him.

For a few seconds they did nothing but look at each other, and after a while they both, almost in unison said "_We have to go._"

Using the text message as a map, the two set off into the East, away from the flaming remnants of Lara's past, with no idea what was ahead of them.


	12. Dreams

_Lara hit the ropes violently and ricocheted off of them flat onto the cold, hard floor – she spat blood down onto the black plastic below and looked up dazed and confused. Karel approached her slowly from the other end of the boxing ring, raising and clapping his hands with a smirk to encourage the jeers and cheers of the surrounding spectators – he was clearly in favour of the miscellaneous voices in the crowd bawling at them. _

_Lara looked towards the crowd hoping to recognise someone and instead found herself a little to familiar with the surrounding faces. _

_To her left behind the ropes stood Sophia Leigh, Pierre and Larson, Marco Bartolli all stood and cheered on Karel as a winged Jacqueline Natla circled around their heads clapping with one hand and one mutant Atlantean cannon arm. Straight ahead, passed Karel, Verdilet sat atop his decaying stallion, his red glowing eyes dancing with delight, beside him an extremely pleased looking Doctor Willard egged on her Nephilim opponent to "FINISH 'ER AFF!" - Lara couldn't bare to look on to Karel's side of the arena any longer at the rest of her past adversaries, did she have no support at all?_

"_Poor Lara." a familiar voice said from behind her._

_Lara pushed herself up from the ground a little and turned, smiling weakly as she spotted a small crowd holding encouraging blood stained banners in her favour._

_She then noticed however that none of them were being held up and all of their faces looked agonisingly pitiful, she was clearly losing the fight. All of her closest friends and associates stood there - Jean Yves, a blood soaked Winston (who stood with his head in his hands, literally), Father Patrick, Charles Kane, Zip and even Von Croy, hand covering where his heart used to be, lips pulled down in worry._

_Lara turned to Karel who had burst into a cackle, one arm consumed by beautiful emerald flames as he paced back and forth across the opposite side of the ring. "You've lost him Miss Croft, join me and you could see how beautiful things in this world, our world, would be." he said, voice genuine but expression as menacingly evil as ever._

"_Him?" Lara breathed in confusion, Karel stopped dead and faced her._

"_Are you joking? I can't have such stupidity on display if you are to be my queen – then again, you may be concussed. My dear, when I said 'him' that would be..." Karel motioned with his head for her to look up, she did so and was greeted instantly with a large gloop of blood splatting across her face – she opened her mouth to respond to the sight but she couldn't fathom any coherent response._

_Above them was a massive square panel light painted with blood, crucified to it was a battered and bloody Kurtis, his naked form ensnared by thick chains onto the panel – he was almost definitely dead._

_Lara did nothing for a few seconds before, in an almost calm and peaceful movement, looked back to Karel and rose from the floor of the ring only to aim a solid, pitch perfect furious scream at him – her face twisting in anger and hurt as she stood completely still and shot her emotion at him._

"_Settle, my pet, for it is I who you are destined to be-" Karel was cut off short as he was doused by a splash of liquid, it's contact hissing and smoking on his skin like a red hot poker into water – he looked up it's source only to see Lara, shaking in anger, a plastic bottle of water in one of her hands._

"_Stupid mortal, so be it!" Karel said, the second time he had said that particular phrase to her._

_Karel lurched forward towards Lara and it all seemed to happen in slow motion, as he dove his clothes shred from his muscular body and mid-leap he morphed into his true Nephilim form – towards her he extended a stony, poised fist glowing white hot and furious. Lara could do nothing but shield her ace, close her eyes and accept her impending fate._

"Lara? Lara? You awake?" a voice said huskily and softly into her ear, gently shaking her.

Lara slowly but surely opened her eyes and sat up from the fetal position she had adopted in the passenger seat of the helicopter, she licked her dry lips and stretched out into a comfortable sit. "How far are we now do you reckon?" she croaked, slightly embarrassed by her fresh from sleep tones.

Kurtis gave an amused hum at her voice - "About an hour tops I'd say until we land, hotel's booked so we can finally get a proper rest the instant we land and then..." he trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence – what exactly where they going to do? How do you stop a Nephilim?

An aura of awkwardness suddenly filled the cabin, both of them accepted it – Kurtis continued to fly the chopper through the darkness of the Turkish sky while Lara gazed absent mindedly out at the rolling clouds.

Lara looked towards the control settings, tired of the silence but to disturbed from her lucid nightmare to talk, she gave the radio button a nudge and tampered through static until it settled on a station.

"Next on T-K-2-5 radio, here's Dreams by Fleetwood Mac." the accented presenter said amidst one of those plain awful radio station jingles – finally some music entered the uneasy atmosphere.

_Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom - well, who am I to keep you down?_

Lara stared into the wind shield, back at her own solemn reflection.

_It's only right that you should play the way you feel it but listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness, like a heartbeat, drives you mad in the stillness of remembering what you had and what you lost._

Then her mind began to race as she thought of everything that had happened in the last four or so days. Her life had been plunged deeper into the darkness than she ever could've imagined it possible to go, whatever sanity and hope she had left was topsy turvy and dangling by a thread – her stomach turned and her chest felt heavy.

_...and what you had and what you lost. Thunder only happens when it's raining-_

Lara quickly leant over and hit the dial of the radio, extinguishing the music before leaning back into her chair and back into silence – they'd be arriving soon. The pair had left England hours ago and had been taking turns flying and resting, soon they could both relax and get some well needed sleep before deciding what to do about the world's more than likely dire fate where Karel was concerned.

The helicopter continued swiftly through the sky, hastily approaching the sleeping rooftops of Istanbul, Turkey.


	13. Torn

Extracting her leg carefully and swiftly from the flaming wreckage of her vehicle the Doppelgänger made her way towards a disgruntled Gunderson - "You're certainly committed to not leaving a trail behind, aren't you? Even though police are probably on their way here right now." he said flatly to which she glared and made her way past him, straight into the beat up blue car he leaned against. He watched through the window as she called Karel and within seconds started and ended a full conversation with him.

"You've to hurry and take me to my master, Marten." the Doppelgänger said, even with her electronic tones Gunderson sensed her cheek.

"_Don't use my name, freaky clone bitch._" Gunderson grumbled to himself as he watched the smoke twirl from her crash landed vehicle up into the already burning morning sky before stepping into the car and driving away from the carnage quickly and silently, off of the dry arid space and onto the highway.

He was intent to return to Nevşehir as quickly as possible with his silent and deadly passenger, the Doppelgänger rested her booted feet against the dashboard and Gunderson just glowered at her as the green eyed monster poked at his heart - everything about her seemed to annoy him, mostly Karel's attitude towards her.

"_Years of service, of honour and loyalty – this 'thing' comes along all guns blazing with irrationality and disorder and he worships it, why?" _Gunderson pondered, his brow closing in around his hard eyes as he drove – to his left he watched as she danced a butterfly knife with expertise in and around her pale, slender fingers.

"_Bitch."._

Kurtis, without a word in vain of the previous hours silence stepped out onto the abandoned helipad and walked a decent distance from the helicopter to have a cigarette, Lara watched him from the window within, a half solemn half angry expression on her face, she literally had no idea what to do with herself and it wasn't even _that_ time of month.

The kiss, among many other less light-hearted events, had played over in her mind constantly since she had awoken from her almost black comic nightmare – she'd made a mistake.

Egypt had changed a lot of things, if not everything.

Lara, despite the majority opinion of the outside onlooker, did not seek or chase or invite death – she'd risked it countless times but had never came into close contact with it – the idea of holding the past itself in her hands, uncovering it's secrets and mysteries was the only reason she every decided to plunge herself into the depths of the history all over the globe, across a spectrum of countries, religions and timeliness.

It was all an honest search for knowledge, although there was a childlike elements to her collecting – if she wanted it, she had to have it.

Under the depths of the Peruvian mountains or tiptoeing cautiously along the lengths of the Thames it was all for that one thing – knowledge, truth and understanding of the ancients, however, it was always alone – she'd never had a partner, never saw the use for one until circumstances such as Eckhardt had come along.

To be fair to herself that was only mild-partnership but within him she saw faith and loyalty, he'd done so much for her, for both of their safeties, over the past few days but that did not justify how she'd reacted back the Manor – then again, the bullet she put in him seconds before was a bit unreasonable as well.

Alone and facing death, that's what she was used to.

Many assumed that the 'Tomb Raider' had at many times made these tombs her own, at times of course she came close but always had a plan, never gave up – Kaliya being one of her primitive examples, snakes, spikes and boulders should never be in the same place let alone sentence.

Egypt however was the first time she came into contact with death and was left defenceless, she could do absolutely nothing and it wasn't so much giving up it as that was a choice – there was no choice, fate decided that she was, for lack of better word, fucked.

That was of course until, by some strike of luck or fate, she as found my Putai and her tribe.

Lara sat her backpack in her lap, unzipped a small pocket on the inside and produced a small object from it – a scarab amulet, it's body tiled with various coloured scales with a ceramic blue head and limbs branching off of it, all piped with solid gold and attached to a simple metal chain.

Putai had given her it the day before she'd left for England, telling her the amulet brought _strength from the elders_ and was _a direct channel to her soul –_ of all the mysterious items Lara had come across it was the most intriguing.

Lara had worn it constantly up until entering the storm drains of the Louvre where she'd sheaved it safety in her new backpack and had almost completely forgot about it until Kurtis brought up Egypt back in Prague – she fastened it around her neck, she needed all the strength she could muster if she was to face what was ahead.

Her gaze fell back to Kurtis as she put a hand over her eyes to shelter them from the violent sun, his form shaking in the heat wave outside as he sat on a stone and smoked – eyes downcast at the sand.

She saw herself within in him so much, that same lust for vengeance back in Prague, that same determination, that same iron will (although hers was a little tarnished) – he was, if she were to believe in such a thing, her true counterpart.

Her soul mate.

Lara shook her head, it was a moment of misguided judgement – her independence was the only thing still keeping her going, she had to prepare mentally and physically for what was ahead, whatever that may be.

Lara tucked the amulet below the neck of her vest, pulled on her backpack and stepped outside into the embracing heat of Turkey and walked towards Kurtis across the cracked, sandy helipad, his expression reflecting what Lara herself had thought moments ago – it was strictly business, she couldn't get attached.

"_...because you've lost anything and everyone I've become attached to these last few days, don't risk it happening again._" Lara told herself firmly.

"You ready?" she asked, Kurtis looked up at her with a nod.

They stood side by side in the wasteland and gazed ahead of them, there stood all the grandeur of central Istanbul – Kurtis motioned to their hotel, visible on the outskirts, but Lara barely registered him.

Her mind simply refused to rest – what had happened, what was happening and what was yet to happen swirling around behind her eyes like a carousel. She only shook her head of this when she saw Kurtis yards ahead already making his way along the side of the main road into the city, hands in his pockets.

Lara went to shout on him before deciding against it, frowning at his rudeness and making her own way ahead in his footsteps – she wondered, was he thinking the same thing? Maybe he needed his independence to, he was sick of the sight of her and after this literally needed partnership he'd be glad to return to being alone, just as she did.

"_...or at least you tell yourself you do._" the other half of her conscious jibbed, Lara retained her displeased expression and made off after him.

"_Stupid mortal, so be it!" - he pounced at her in the same way, still burning away from the water._

Lara threw herself up from the bed and gasped, taking a few seconds to register she had been dreaming.

"_Again?_"

To be fair this one wasn't as comical or deluded as her previous nightmare but the key points were the same, her and Karel pitted against at each other while Kurtis bled overhead – no Kill Lara Fan Club cheering him on this time, they were surrounded by nothing but flame and darkness.

It was the water though, that's what got her – the main detail that never changed is that if the situation were real she would've instantly raised her pistols or at least thrown in some good hand-to-hand efforts but instead she threw, in her dreams anyway, seemed to be bottled water. "_The true dettox of evil. A bottle of water._" Lara thought to herself.

"You're awake." said the darkness from the corner of the hotel room, neither questioning or stating the obvious – but just being.

Lara watched as Kurtis' face was suddenly illuminated by his lighter as he sparked a cigarette, his strong jaw flickering in it's amber glow – it then dawned on her that he'd been watching her sleep.

Unsure of what to say she looked over at the flashing neon digits to her left – 2am, she'd slept for 6 hours. They'd arrived at the hotel around 7pm and still had shared that awkward refusal to talk to each other, Lara to drawn up in the past and her pride to talk to him, unbeknownst to her he reflected this same feeling – she ended up crashing out an hour later and he'd did nothing but sit in the room, occasionally go to the veranda for fresh air or a look at the cityscape, but for the most part he watched her sleep.

"_I can't, I'm done with trust and commitment – everyone I've cared for is gone, I can't risk it._" Kurtis told himself, taking a long draw off of his Marlboro – Lara, bathed in moonlight from the open windows, pulled her legs out from under the covers and crawled to the edge of the bed to sit across from him.

They stared intensely at each other in the stillness, both reminded instantly of their first encounter in the Louvre.

"I'm sorry." - In sync, at the exact same time, they released the words.

"Kurtis, I don't know quite how to explain this..." Lara began.

"You're used to being alone, you don't need a partner." he offered in an almost mimicry tone, so matter of factly that he knew before he even finished that he was right. Lara opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't, he was right and in that instant the both realised that they'd felt exactly the same.

"I've never felt so alone, Kurtis, I've lost everything." Lara said, the words so void of emotion they almost seemed fake – robotic. "I know the feeling." is all he could offer in response, his cigarette long since extinguished as he stared down at the aged floorboards.

"I've only ever had one person in my life who I felt was my counterpart, a true reflection of my own personality and spirit – that was Von Croy."

Kurtis continued looking at the floorboards, expression blank but mind and ears on high alert.

"I could've sworn he was the only one, until..."

Kurtis' eyes widened, he looked up at her then only to be met by her glazed stare, tears on her face tinted silver in the moonlight.

"...until I met you." she breathed, eyes faltering but words as honest as ever.

"Lara." he said placing a hand on her knee, no intent or meaning to the words, only to show he was there.

She looked up at him then, her mouth drying up and her throat tightening as she prepared to say 3 words she had never uttered to another person in her entire life, words that she'd never though had meaning outside literature until only a few hours ago – she was tired of convincing herself she had all she needed when really her only rock of support through the darkest spell of her life was sat a foot in front of her.

"I...love you." she finally croaked, the words rolling out of her dry red lips in time to the steady flow of tears down her face. It was in that instant something clicked inside the pair of them, they'd both spent hours torn between their head and their heart, both afraid of something they'd never experienced and under the circumstances thought was dangerous but, in reality, it was the only thing keeping them strong.

Each other.

It all happened in a blur – Kurtis lifted her from the bed and kissed her violently, their tongues dancing as they drew short of breath and pressed their forms close together in desperation and longing. They moved from each corner of the room in a firm, careless embrace leaving overturned furniture and clothes peppered on the floor in their wake until they collapsed onto the bed as one hot mass of flesh and desire.

The moonlight traced over their moving bodies in the midst of the humid Turkish night while they found, in the other, everything they had ever wanted and needed in their unfulfilled existances.


	14. The Morning After

"_Stupid mortal, so be it!" he said, just as he had so many times before, through gritted pearly teeth._

_Again, he lunged from the dusty stones, the flames violently tangoing in a perfect circle around them as blood dripped from the tortured body strapped to the ceiling – the plastic bottle falling from Lara's gloved fingers to hydrate the ancient, parched ground._

"_No!" a powerful voice bellowed from nowhere, the noise almost visible as a mythical aqua aura smashed through the room within her dreams - before the light consumed her all she saw was Karel's monstrous, true form snarling as a vision of fangs and rage mere inches in front of her burn away into the blue._

_She reeled back and thrust her arms before her in defence, memories suddenly arising of when she was being chased by angry Rottweilers through a dank, Parisian apartment building – the all to familiar bag they ripped from her shoulders symbolic of her adventurous self of old being stripped away to reveal a cold, changed woman. _

_Involuntary, her mouthed pulled down at the corners of this unwanted realisation._

_Lara opened her eyes and lowered her arms to see nothing but darkness once more, the flames around gone, no steady drip of crimson splatting around her – she stood in nothingness, confused and shaken._

_Suddenly, the tiniest speck of light seemed to approach her, with it the outline of a slow humanoid figure – wrapped in cloth almost like a Madonna was walking towards her without her precious babe._

_The face of the figure was basked in this non-existant candlelight, Lara could do nothing but gasp._

"_Putai?" she breathed, unable to believe her eyes as her hand, unable to resist, went to touch her face and she felt it, she really felt it - the beautiful smoothness of her African skin against her cold, dirty fingers._

_If this was a dream it deserved awards for it's realism and vividness. _

_Putai smiled, her ethnic features illuminated not only by mysterious light but a genuine, motherly smile._

"_Lara, you finally reconnected I see." her long, elegant hand appearing from beneath her cobalt robes to motion to the amulet around her neck. Lara followed with her eyes down to the pendant, watching it shimmer, trails of golden light chasing each other across it's façade._

"_Putai..._

_I'm scared, I don't know what to do – so many phrases to accompany her name began to form on her dry lips._

_...what is this? What is to happen?" Lara eventually croaked, sounding tired and frightened, like a little girl – more unwanted memories crept upon her, the beautiful sound of water splashing against stone as her sixteen year old self leapt across temple walls with Von Croy, almost chasing him like a little fascinated lap dog, she could almost feel the Cambodian heat upon her skin once more._

"_Come closer, my child."_

_Lara couldn't help but gasp as she came out of her in-dream reverie, she'd heard the exact same words from Von Croy himself in some long lost time, she obeyed and approached Putai who opened her robes, inviting her into a warm embrace within them – Lara wrapped her arms around her._

_Lara was thrust then with a sharp intake of panicky breath out of the security of Putai's arms into a shimmering, hazy vision, solid stone encased her – all to familiar, she felt her chest heave._

_Before her was a great door covered in strangely familiar symbols and carvings, to each side of it were to stone niches, seemingly shaped around standing human forms – above the door and herself a brilliant emerald flame was frozen in time within a large iron bowl, suspended from the ceiling by an ageing chain._

_The whole room shook and swayed in her vision, as if she was thrust into a photograph – nothing moving in this flickering moment of time, which could've been past, present or future for all she knew._

"_Prepare, my dear Lara and remember you are not alone in life and in spirit – I will be with you along the way, humanity depends on you." Putai's voice whispered throughout the mysterious chamber as Lara watched the image burst away into the distance in a rush of air as if it was either being hauled away from her or the opposite, she was being thrusted at great speed into the unknown behind her._

"_Look after him as he does you."_

Lara's eyes shot open, she stared at the intricate patterns carved into wood above her – the ceiling of her hotel room, she was back in reality.

The decorative symbols above her instantly thrusting her back to the swirling room she'd just exited - another dream, or was it a dream?

Lara shook her head, unable to think straight. The sun beamed furiously in at her from the open veranda door – she was surprised she wasn't awake already as the sound of traffic and general hubbub from the street below filled the small room.

With a hard yawn she went to make a move and get up out of the bed when a soft moan at her side caught her attention, her heart froze in shock then thawed in an instant as she turned towards it's source, a weak smile creeping upon her lips.

There he lay, wrapped in a thin layer of cotton, his strong, hairy chest rising and falling as he lay in rest – she was not used to seeing the hardened adventurer so peaceful, so vulnerable.

So beautiful.

She reached out to him, delicately tracing the back of her hand softly down his strong, stublled cheek - his face screwed up ever so slightly in slumber before he turned in the bed and faced away from her, the affectionate touch disrupting him.

Carefully she crept out of the bed, her bare feet connecting with the soft, inviting plush of a rug – her toes wriggled absently as she surveyed the room – one of the first genuine smiles she'd had in months spread across her soft features.

Two sets of dirty clothes that had literally been through the wars where scattered across the room, her bra hanging from the stationary ceiling fan like something from a comedy movie – a musky smell accompanied by the industrial air from outdoors wafting around her, essentially, the smell of sex filling her nostrils.

It was, for lack of better description, their form of agreement on their feelings – they couldn't fight it anymore, it wasn't so much the attraction that had been their ever since the Louvre, it has turned into something else, something neither of them had experienced or understood fully until then.

Love.

It was then she realised that she stood with nothing on in the room but she didn't care, she was completely naked, well, naked except for the amulet that hung down between her bare breasts, she touched her fingers to it and closed her eyes.

"_Look after him as he does you." _- the words rung over in her head like a bell.

Shaking her head Lara made her way gently across the creaking floorboards to the bathroom, she pulled the light strong and stared into her reflection – again, she smiled.

She had colour in her cheeks, she looked healthy and even happy – she had a glow about her that she had not seen since, well, the luxurious recuperation process she used to have upon her return from an adventure, soaking in her massive tub back at Croft Manor. She would leave the bath and look at herself in the mirror as she got ready for a much needed rest and she had that same glow, that said she'd had a successful adventure and returned with another priceless artefact for her collection hidden away beside the grand staircase.

The memory put a bitter twinge on her mood, realising that her home was no more and those artefacts had been shipped off to a security locker abroad, after Egypt she didn't want involved with them anymore and at least she wouldn't have to worry (or shoot) anymore robbers who thought it's be easy to steal from her Manor - "After all, she's just a woman."

"Wouldn't be surprised if they got in now, I'm a shell of my former self." Lara said, staring glumly at her improved complexion.

Her mood and good feelings somewhat destroyed she quickly showered, pulled her damp hair into a braid – with one last look in the mirror, she weakly smiled at herself and stepped back into the bedroom.

Lara peeled her bra from the ceiling and underwear and socks from the floor and went to grab the rest of her clothes when she realised it wasn't a good idea. Apart from her clean underwear which she'd changed into on the helicopter whilst Kurtis looked away, at least he promised he would, her remaining garments were covered in the sweat and grime of Paris, Prague, England and now Turkey – she had to get something new. She gathered up her camouflage shorts and black vest and threw them into the large wicker basket in the corner which served as a bin, the breeze from outside warming her still damp skin.

Just then wheels squeaked their way up the hallway outside the room, Lara crept over the floorboards and peeked out of the peep hole of the door out into the hall – a woman, the maid assumability, was making her way into the adjacent room with a bag of towels and clothes from her cart which was marked 'LAUNDRY' in Turkish – Lara smiled and unlocked her door as the maid disappeared into the opposite room, quickly she opened the door, grabbed two of the bags full of clothes and shut her door quietly, returning to the peep hole to watch the none the wiser maid shut the door behind her and take her cart off up the hall and out of sight.

Lara knelt beside the first of the two bags and riffled through it's assorted contents, pleased to find it was all women's clothing, she pulled out various items only to find them to dressy or impractical before she pulled out two items and stopped dead – it couldn't be.

Lara stared at the two garments in disbelief, it was way to coincidental – she held in one hand a green-teal vest and in the other a pair of brown shorts. A mirthful smile spread across her lips, she couldn't believe it.

"I'm a fashion icon it would seem yet I've been in the newspaper and magazine headlines for all the wrong reasons..." she muttered to herself, the words monstrum and killer appearing in her head as if printed on paper in bold, black letters. It dawned on her it all lined up so ironically well, another adventure and she was holding such familiar gear – the clothes that had faced the elements so many times and here they were again, ready to plunge into the unknown on her body once again.

Wrapped up in her thoughts again Lara shoved the unwanted clothes back into the bag and peaked into the other, glad to see it was men's clothing for Kurtis.

Lara tugged on the clothes that had seemingly come back to haunt her, not at all surprised when they fit perfectly – she picked her belt up from the floor, loosening the holsters from it and fastening it around her waist. Swiftly she put on her boots and stuffed her holsters and pistols into her backpack, removed a wad of cash from it's depths before strapping it to her shoulders – she tidied up some of the overturned furniture and mess from last nights events and shut the veranda door quietly – all the while making sure Kurtis was sound asleep.

As she tidied she discovered a pad and pen atop a chest of drawers, quickly she scribbled a note which she sat on the pillow beside him

Kurtis.

Out getting some supplies, be back soon.

Lara.

Undecided she snatched it back up, put an x kiss beside her name before returning it to his side – looking over her shoulder to his broad, muscular back faced away from her before exiting the room.

Making her way swiftly out of the hotel, suddenly feeling the urge for fresh air, she crossed paths with another guest who gave her an odd look that she did not return – probably because Lara was dressed in her laundry, she smiled wryly as she made her way down the stairs and out of the open doors into the noisy street

She hadn't taken much notice of the area last night due to the darkness and her general exhaustion, she surveyed the bustling market place around her that was jumping with throngs of people, colourful plastic covering row after row of tables that lined each side of the street, occasionally breaking for doors to establishments behind them – Lara sighed, knowing it was going to be hell to make her way throw the crowd, and entered the human herd.

A sharp gust of breeze brought a wave of sand into her face, peppering the smaller locals around her who seemed carefree at it's gritty presence, Lara dusted herself off as she made her way in a series of hops and dives in and around the people towards a general store to her left – just as she entered the smell of a rot from a fruit, at least that's what it looked like, stall beside the entrance entered her nostrils and her gag reflex sent her coughing into the harsh blue neon lighting of the poky store.

"You cough pain yes?" an accented voice said from behind the counter flashing a set of yellow teeth that resembled the fruit outside, the sentence made little or no sense but clearly because of her Caucasian appearance he assumed his English would go down a treat – Lara gave him an unimpressed smile as she lifted a basket and made her way to the back of the store, all the while feeling his perverse gaze on her back (well, south of it).

She opened a small refrigerator at her side, scanning it's bare contents for something to drink, from the back she produced two bottles of water from beside a leaking can of cola, she read the Turkish label as she let the door slam closed of it's own accord

"EXOTIC EGYPT WATER, IMPORTED FRESH FROM THE RIVER JORDAN – yum, can't wait." Lara thought dryly, allowing it to drop into the basket, at least it was imported because judging by the smell in the store any local water would probably save Karel and his goons the task of giving her a slow, painful death.

Her humour arose a pang of fear and realisation in her stomach as things slid back into her memory, she quickly pushed them aside – that could wait for now.

Soon her basket was full with some random groceries, bread, cheese and the like so she made her way, unwillingly, towards the counter and it's unnecessarily friendly tender – he gave her another decaying smile.

"So, you here on holiday travels, yes?" he grinned, Lara gave him a nod, trying to look around for something to distract her – the cigarettes lined behind him caught her eye.

"20 Marlboro as well, please." she asked, as much as she disagreed with Kurtis' habit he deserved the little pleasures in life before they faced the trials, whatever they may be, ahead.

The cashier turned to collect them, extending his arm to reveal lovely pit stains on his once white shirt to her as he dropped the pack on the counter atop a pile of newspapers – he laughed, wheezing at her, Lara kept her eyes off of him out of fear of her impatience snapping.

"You no smoke, is bad for you - rots your teeth." he said to her, the words laced in jibbing humour.

Lara turned then to face him then in slight disbelief at the words, gaze unwillingly going to his mouth - "Really?" she said, the phrase dripping with sarcasm.

Quickly he bagged up the items and she payed, her sarcasm clearly insulting him as his mouth formed a hard line for the remaining time she spent in the store – much to her mirth, she stuffed the bags into her backpack, swung it back onto her shoulders and left the store.

She stood on the steps, surveying the steady of flow of people making their way up and down the street – she could see the hotel, 25 yards or so away, and she planned the best way to get it without getting thrust into the crowd again.

Suddenly she winced, a sharp pain stabbing at her neck, instantly she assumed it was an insect before she touched her fingers to the spot and gasped – her fingers coming into contact with the cool, smooth metal of a small dart.

She removed it from her neck with a grunt, her vision blurring and the once strong smell of the fruit stall fading away as her senses played up on her, unable to make sense of what was happening she stumbled back off of the steps of the store and into an alleyway beside it – losing her footing along the way and falling hard on her back against warm, sandy stones.

The last thing she saw was the large expanse of blue in the sky shimmering in her confusion above the two buildings the alley was sandwiched between, then it all blacked out as a figure leaned over her – a pair of milky yellow eyes gazing down at her so defined against the swirls and confusion as her senses drifted off with her consciousness into black.

The Doppelgänger showed no expression as she grabbed Lara's limp arm and dragged her across the sand roughly and with ease, down the alleyway towards a waiting blue car.


	15. Fate

The pale sapphire of his irises struggled against the cruel Turkish sun as he drifted out of the first comfortable sleep he'd had in weeks, he stretched his form out on the bed with a groan – his hands coming into contact with a crumpled piece of paper where someone should've been lay beside him.

Without thought, still dazed from the brightness and entry to reality, he brought the sheet of paper closer to his squinting eyes and examined the finely written words.

_Kurtis, out getting some supplies, be back soon – Lara._

Kurtis smiled, running his thump over the still wet ink of an x kiss on the corner of the sheet before he lay it on the bedside table and peeled back the sheets, the cool air suddenly washing over his naked body.

Last night had been shocking and unexpected, yet, at the same time, he knew it had been coming and had welcomed it – sure, it was risky to get so involved in the midst of such calamity and confusion but they were already intertwined in fate and situation it was just a case of neither of them admitting it.

They finally had and Kurtis hadn't felt more happy, or happy at all, in years.

A smile spread across his stubbled features as he pulled himself out of the bed, quickly sorting the sheets before making his way across the creaky floorboards and into the bathroom for a hasty shower, leaving his sweat and dirt smeared clothes to their final resting place strewn all over the corners of the hotel room.

Exiting the shower, his large muscular form dripping, he picked up an unfamiliar plastic bag from the floor and riffled through it to find a selection of men's clothes – Lara raided laundrettes as well as tombs it would seem.

Removing a plain black t-shirt and slightly shredded blue denim jeans he got dressed, his already dry hair tousled and spiky across his brow, he attached his belt, shoulder holster and hip packs to his new attire before gazing back into the bag after spotting something.

He reached in and withdrew a leather jacket, brown in colour, it's aged scruffiness adding to it's appeal, he smiled before tugging it on.

Realising neither of them had left anything of importance in the hotel and could probably move on he exited the room with the hopes of catching Lara on her return – it may be crazy but he missed her, he had a feeling of longing flipping in the pit of his stomach.

That was the beauty of the situation, they'd both spent hours dwelling and pondering the whole situation and now that it had happened it was just accepted, not to much of the sentimental stuff but they both simply agreed.

Professional love – Kurtis' memory flickered as he made his way down the hallway swiftly.

"_The engraving shows the painting is hidden in something called 'The Vault of Trophies', here."_

_She extended her tanned arm towards the aged parchment she held, pointing towards the map, their skin brushing together sending a slight shiver down his spine as they huddled together in the airlock._

_He eyed the map, curvy etchings of blue ink against her finger suggesting her destination was submerged._

"_The entrance is underwater-_

_he felt her slender fingers touch his rough unshaven chin, pulling it towards her chocolate gaze teasingly._

"_- No problem."_

_He watched her walk away, stiffening his limp posture as her boots slammed against the metal catwalk beyond the room, a smile touching his lips he pivoted and made his way in the opposite direction._

"_Croft'll look good in a wetsuit." he thought to himself with a chuckle. _

He smiled, merely a few days ago it had been a case of attraction and teamwork, "_This is business" _to quote her, and now they were teamed up once again in more ways than one – feeling stronger than ever emotionally, mentally and physically.

He exited into the warmth and business of the bazaar street their hotel was situated on, scanning the street with a hand protecting his eyes from the harsh light of day – he spotted the flickering neon of a store just ahead and realised it was probably where she'd went to shop and with that he made his way through the busy crowd towards it.

Suddenly there was a scream, far ahead in the street the crowd fell back having a domino affect on everyone behind them including Kurtis who stumbled back as a cloud of dust and sand waved over him, he spotted the cause ahead – a beat up blue car had pulled out of nowhere, swerved into the crowd and was taking off up the street,

"Fucking idiot." Kurtis cursed at the careless driver, watching it drive away.

He froze, convinced his eyes were deceiving him, as the car speedily made it's escape he say a crimson red braid flair out from the passenger side's open window and whip violently in the wind as the vehicle surged on – it couldn't be.

Kurtis hastily threw himself away from the panicked and shaken crowd and into the seclusion of a nearby dark alleyway, without thought as his mind raced a mile a minute he threw his arms up, eyes glazing over into pure white as he entered the hazy amber glare of his far-see vision.

He zoomed up the street with his mind's eye as fast as he could, dodging locals and their stalls alike, following the trail of smoke from the exhaust as he neared the retreating bumper of the car that spat dust from the spinning wheels at his telekinetic vision, he saw them from behind, a heavy set bald man behind the wheel and a familiar (a little to familiar, reminding him of someone in his panic) female in the passenger seat.

Before he even checked, mind set apart from the vision, he though about what he was going to do and was likely about to see – he pushed his sight through the metal of the boot of the car and into it's darkened compartment and his heart sank.

There, tied in rope and unconscious, blood trailing lightly from a mark in her neck, was the swirling orange vision of Lara.

Like a video tape reversing he retreated his far-see without though, whizzing back the way towards the alleyway and smashed into his body carelessly, sending him sprawling in the sand when he reconnected – they had her, his complexion paled in fear and confusion.

He sat there on the ground, panicking and queasy, unable to think straight as thoughts pounded at his mind – memories flickering like film strips across his worried mind.

_They lay side by side as the moonlight poured in from the window, embracing and panting they looked deep into each others eyes as their sweaty forms entangled underneath the thin cotton sheets._

_He ran his hand across her jaw, pushing her moist fringe out of her face - "I love you." she whispered, softness amidst her harsh breathing._

_Kurtis, face intense as he took in the sight of her, hand coming to rest upon her chest, her heart beating violently under his damp palm returned her words – their lips met softly for the last time as they feel asleep in the humid hotel room._

Kurtis buried his head into his dusty hands, head throbbing and mouth running dry – the woman he loved, the only woman he had ever loved, had been captured and was most likely going to be killed.

Suddenly but slowly, in a simple and curiously calm movement Kurtis raised his head and stood, dusting himself off – the ice of his blue eyes melting with a ferocious fury, his face thunderous.

"Kill her? Not if I have anything to do with it." he told himself calm, his deep voice monotonous as he stormed out into the street and onto the trail of tyre tracks along the sandy bazaar, the crowd separating at the sight of a broad Caucasian male briskly forcing his way through the shoppers and traders off into the outskirts of Istanbul.


	16. Reunion

_The same vision, the same room – two massive stone slabs forming a door, covered in archaic symbols with a stone niche at either side but unlike her earlier photographic visit the room was now alive._

_The green flames overhead crackled violently, casting the room in an alien glow – Lara made her way through the dust, tracing her fingers over the door's etchings as she slid her hand loosely along the length of stone._

_She moved towards the closest niche and peered in, it was only raised a step off of the floor and inside, against the wall, was a perfect hole – the pitch black indicating it's depth._

_Removing her hand from the wall she reached out to examine it, the closer she got a feeling of premonition made her stall, taking a step back to bring her hand to her side in a tight fist._

"Ah!"

Her whole body jerked, hitting hard against something and rolling back into a still rest – Lara affirmed her consciousness and that her eyes were in fact open at the surrounding blackness with a few non-deferential blinks.

Disorientated from her awakening she accessed with some wriggling that she was encased by cold metal and humid air - the next few seconds formed instant replay in her mind of what she last remembered and that same feeling of dread that she had left behind in her dream returned, she was in the trunk of a car and she could hazard a well educated guess at who was behind the wheel.

She had to get out, and fast.

After more wriggling and writhing, careful not to alert those within the car she was awake Lara fumbled blindly in the darkness for some way to escape her auto mobile coffin – random levers and handles caught her grasp but nothing of use, she already knew there was limited chance of her escaping from the inside but nevertheless she tried.

Reality sunk into her through panicky breaths, not only did she accept she had little to no chance of escaping she also realised the car was stationary, in fact it was it's grinding halt that had thrown her into the side of her prison and rudely awoken her.

There was nothing she could do.

"_Calm, child._"

Suddenly the darkness was illuminated as if from nowhere, the rough fabric interior bathed in trail blazing beams swirling around in an explosion of neon blue light – Lara looked down with squinting eyes to see this phantom hue was being projected from the amulet perched upon her chest.

"_Lara._"

An uncertain fear thumped in her chest as she was chillingly reminded of her conversation with a possessed Von Croy in the depths of the Citadel in Egypt, the hushed yet booming speech and unsettling glow, it was all uncanny – however, the voice was not familiar.

"_Do not fear me for you know who I am._"

Lara's eyes widened, her unblinking eyes staring past the swirling lights overhead and into nothing – her disbelief remained but her fear melted away.

"...Putai?" she whispered softly into the nothingness of the car.

Seconds that felt like hours passed inside the trunk, the audible whir of the amulet's mysterious projections the only sound as Lara awaited response.

"_Yes, it is I, although there is no time for pleasantries I'm afraid." _the now completely familiar voice replied, echoing within Lara's head as if it were her own inner-monologue. Lara's already confused thoughts were thrown into further disarray as the light filling the car turned blinding, filling her vision with sheer white – when she finally opened her eyes against it she was even more confused.

There she lay, sand at her back staring up at what appeared to be the undercarriage of a car – thecar she'd just been locked inside of only a moment ago with her backpack strapped to her shoulders, loaded holsters back on her thighs and with ropes no longer around her.

"What in the world?"

Before she could even begin to come to terms with what was happening the sound of the passenger door to her left snapped her back into reality – her breath caught in her chest as she suppressed a growl, watching a familiar set of legs walk around the length of vehicle and towards the trunk she'd only just 'escaped', she pulled her limbs against her body to conceal herself.

-click-

"...Gunderson!" the Doppelgänger screamed mechanically as it slammed the trunk shut, whirring around and back into the vehicle.

Lara listened briefly to mild, muffled conversation and gasped as the sound of metal on metal rang from above her when the car suddenly moved overhead – luckily for her none of it's wheels in-line with her body. The sky hit Lara like a bullet, still gasping from the shock of the car reversing over the top of her she shielded her eyes with a gloved hand and rolled over onto her back and up into stance on the thick sand as quickly as she could – pivoting on her heel and raising a Vector-R35.

In the brief few seconds she had before reaction she took in her surroundings, nothing but desert, A cluster of mountainous rocks to her right and a perfect blue sky overhead – it's colour reminiscent of familiar eyes.

"Kurtis..."

Her own eyes, in tune with her pistol, met the confused stare of the two familiar and surprised passengers of the car 20 or so feet ahead of her that instantly screeched to a halt.

Lara remained calm and collected, squaring her feet towards the car as she clicked the safety off of her weapon.

The Doppelgänger's stare was acidic, her hands forming fists with a solid pound onto the dashboard, causing Gunderson behind the wheel to jump a little in his seat. Suddenly, in one fluid movement she pounced into a crouch on the passenger seat, swung her leg over to kick Gunderson with such force he was forced out of the car and sprawling into the sand before moving swiftly behind wheel – Lara gulped with uncertainty, the sound of blood pulsing drumming in her ears and head as Gunderson wheezed, clinging to the still open car door.

The Doppelgänger revved the car and within one blink Lara saw she had almost halved the distance between them, without thought and fear she fired a few shots – watching as the wind shield cracked into intricate patterns of glass.

"_Move."_

Lara felt a sudden heat behind the cold stone of the necklace at her chest, Putai's voice filling her mind, in her peripheral vision noting a blue aura similar to that she'd seen in the car emitted from it.

Waiting only a split second for the car to come closer she cartwheeled to her right, one hand supporting her weight and the other still gripping the pistol as she skilfully fired one shot through the open passenger side window that struck the Doppelgänger in the arm – a robotic howl filled the humid air as the car skidded hastily before coming to a stall some distance ahead.

"_Run towards the rocks Lara, do not look back and do not stop running." _Putai said firmly, the light from the amulet blazing as Lara swung into stance and obeyed the orders – bullets whirring by her from the directions of both her assailants as she sprinted the small distance towards the massive stone formation.

"_Go, run!"_

Lara's breath caught in her chest, there was no gap, no climbable face, nothing – what was she supposed to do? There was nothing else she could do and as she reached the jagged rock face she threw her arms up instinctively over her face as bullet struck stone all around her, expecting the brutal impact of her sprint and her impending doom as she heard the Doppelgänger give another pained, enraged scream - she continued blindly and speedily ahead.

Then there was silence.

Lara stalled her run, her boots skidding against stone the only sound as she lowered her arms, opened her eyes and looked down. Sand.

Had she ran _through_ the rock?

Lara shook her head, raising her eyes from her boots on the ground, up past the no longer glowing scarab to survey her surroundings, all that faced her was a jagged cave mouth with a large set of stone steps leading up and into darkness – she went to step forward when suddenly the room was filled with a green light, a familiar green light, she swung on her toes-

"..no."

The source of the light hung above her, crackling away furiously, forest green flames – as she turned her full body slowly around she was faced with the same room she had seen in her previous nightmarish dreams.

"Greetings, Miss Croft." a cold, all to familiar voice stated from behind her.

Lara's heart froze in her chest, her hands waved over holsters but she knew it was useless, feeling defeat and fear she slowly but surely turned into the waiting, firm stare of Joachim Karel at the foot of the stairs she had faced.

Lara was speechless, her mouth a firm line as she tried to maintain composure, meeting his gaze – his green eyes hue enhanced by that of the glittering flames reflected in them.

"I could say I am surprised you made this far but to be honest I'd be lying, I am not shocked in the slightest. You're an admirable adversary-

Lara glanced briefly over her shoulder, slowly stepping back as she raised her pistols shakily towards Karel, unable to speak and unsure what to say, it was a horrible feeling actually _seeing_ him again even though she knew he had still been alive.

-however, have you learned nothing? I do not tolerate IGNORANCE!"

As Karel screeched the last word in the fury, sending a booming echo around the large chamber, he slammed his gloved fist into the wall at his side causing the entire cavern to shake violently.

Lara lost her lost her grip and footing in the terrifying display of power, dust raining down on the entire room as her pistols slipped from her hands – gathering herself up on the floor she fumbled blindly behind her as Karel strolled calmly towards her, she felt nothing there.

Stricken by panic she hastily looked over her shoulder looking for her weapons, instead she found herself sat at the edge of a large (and now fractured) stone grate that had previously been hidden under the grit, Karel's blast revealing it - sand sieved down it's edges, her Vectors presumably somewhere within and she was certain she could hear running water somewhere in it's depths.

Her eyes followed the guttered edge of the grate, tracing around the edge and along the length of the room, snaking into two tubules that ran across the floor and up into each of the two niches at the large door opposite her - "_It's a mechanism.._."

Calmer, an idea struck her as she acrobatically flipped over her head and into stance atop the grate – Karel simply smirked, a chuckle parting his lips.

"It doesn't have to be this way, you can either take my hand or die by it."

Lara's gloved hands formed tight fists.

"The choice is entirely yours, Miss Croft." Karel offered, extending a hand towards her, the hand she knew bore the mark of Von Croy's murder.

Lara threw an equally confident smirk back in his direction, uncertainty flickered across his stern façade – she slammed her booted foot heavily down of the grate, the crack of weak stone ricocheting around the walls.

"I'll mull that over."

Suddenly the grate gave way underneath her and Lara fell.

Karel gasped as she slipped, smirk still present, into it's depths and out of sight.

He growled, rushing towards the edge of the crater and peering over into the darkness below – seconds passed before he heard a distant splash, cursing, he gathered his brows and turned.

"Master?"

He shook his head and looked up, ever so slightly surprised by the appearance of a dusty Gunderson at the foot of the stairs – Karel frowned.

"Do you care to explain how Croft went from 'in our possession' to very much free and inside the temple?" he stated, his voice going from calm to furious – Gunderson went to open his mouth but Karel swiftly raised an open gloved hand, discouraging him before rubbing his temples in frustration.

"I can only apologise m-Master, however, I do come baring g-good news – or, to be more exact, baring _something_." he stammered, Karel lowered his hand from his face, interest pricked but voice still unimpressed.

"...and that would be?"

Gunderson smiled, turning away from the open cave mouth of the steps, hands outstretched as if presenting something – the noise of booted feet descended the stairs and out stepped the Doppelgänger, face calm as she carried, seemingly with ease, a large bundle.

Karel squinted, unsure of what exactly he was looking at before the Doppelgänger threw it halfway across the room as if it had been nothing but a tennis ball, with expertise it landed directly at his feet.

A peculiar smile spread across his grim features - things had just went from bad to, for the most part, back on track.

"We found him outside, skulking around the entrance of the caves." Gunderson stated semi-proudly, earlier fear removed as he realised he had pleased his master.

"Well, well, well..." Karel mused, softly kicking and rolling over the unconscious body of Kurtis Trent sprawled at his feet.


	17. Sacrifice

Joachim clicked his fingers, the sound echoing around the cavern, at this the Doppelgänger crossed the distance of the room with an athletic cartwheel and lifted Kurtis' heavy frame as if he were a mere feather, he motioned with his hand for her to carry him over to the door – Gunderson followed suit and walked towards the door at Karel's side.

"How do we open the door, Master?" Gunderson queried, surveying the nonsensical inscriptions on the massive stone door, Karel gave a simple amused hum as response.

"Watch."

Karel raised his open palms towards the Doppelgänger and suddenly she and Kurtis were thrust into the air, levitating in an amazing green fiery haze – similar to that of the supernatural flames burning in the gauntlet overhead.

The Doppelgänger struggled violently and Gunderson shuddered, as much as he had hated her he felt a strange mix of sympathy and fear, the whole time he'd spent with her she seemed to show little or no emotion and as struggled in Karel's strong, invisible grip she looked absolutely terrified – the edges of her topaz eyes turning red and watering, as if she were choking.

In time with the steady motions of Karel's hands both bodies glided into the left and right niches at either side of the door, encased in emerald fire, Gunderson took a few hesitant steps away from the sight in fear.

"You see, Marten, I didn't disclose with you in Rouzic's archives what exactly it was I found or what the true purpose of this Doppelgänger was. Whilst she was reasonably helpful in hindering and keeping Miss Croft and our Lux Veritatis friend at bay I knew she had no chance against them, part Nephilim or not our two friends here are more than capable of dealing with her, you and even in the past myself."

Gunderson became uneasy, the calm in Karel's voice so out of place with everything else occurring around him.

"You see, of course I knew the temple, the city of my people, was here in Cappadocia but if the Cubiculum Nephili had been resurrected as planned I wouldn't have needed this as our first resort.

I found the bare remains of an ancient and exceedingly useful text amidst Rouzic's disarray of 'information' and discovered that I can revive my fallen brethren from the city itself, however, the way to gain entry from this temple and into my city had been long lost to my memory."

Kurtis remained unconscious as he dangled lazily in the air, the Doppelgänger thrashed wildly and apparently screaming with no sound escaping her quivering lips.

"The text revealed that the only way to gain entry and save my people, to save myself, was to prove that I am indeed a friend to the Nephilim let alone one of them and to do that I need to make a sacrifice."

Sacrifice.

The word burned itself into Gunderson's already uneasy mind, he went to open his mouth to say something but couldn't find the words and instead stuttered something incoherent - Karel gave him a grim smile from over his shoulder.

"The sacrifice I hear you ask? Blood must be spilt, the blood of one of our own and one of enemies into the rivers of our glorious city – however, as you are well aware, I am the only remaining of my unfortunate race."

The fact that Gunderson fell into neither of the categories deemed fit for sacrifice soothed him, but only slightly, suddenly everything fell into place in his worried mind.

"Rouzic, however, bore partially Nephilic blood but to bring that pitiful excuse of a human with us to Istanbul would've been an incredible hassle – so, in my haste, I thought to make the best of both worlds I would make something of use from his blood and also create half of the needed sacrifice. The other half, as I'm sure you've gathered, will be covered by our friend Mr Trent."

It was surreal to Gunderson, as Karel coolly explained everything to him he still held his hands up and the subjects suspended in the air – the Doppelgänger still as panic stricken as ever, if not more.

"If only that fool Konstantin could see his son now, he killed many of my brothers and sisters and now I plan on minimising his only family tree and helping to extend my own." Karel finished, half-turning to a shocked Gunderson.

He cleared his throat, trying not to show weakness in front of him – he himself had nothing to worry about. Gunderson shook his head, caught off guard as Karel began to chant, the words archaic and lost to his ears – he continued for seconds that felt like hours and suddenly he stopped.

-_ziiiiiing_-

A sound, a familiar sound echoed around the cavern, the sound of metal scratching and suddenly it was overpowered by an array of crescendoing noises – Gunderson covered his ears, quickly catching the tail end of a gleeful laugh escaping Karel.

Gunderson watched the horror unfold before him, truly wanting to avoid it but unable to make himself look away.

The noise had been exactly what he thought, metal being unsheathed or scratched, it's source being the gaping hole in each niche – from within it a large spike had suddenly shot out, seemingly at the request of Karel's foreign chant.

The spike passed through the hole, through the niche and through the distressed figures stood within them.

He first looked to the Doppelgänger, even with his ears firmly covered he still heard her static scream – the noise like a booming, broken radio.

Kurtis, once his comrade, was jolted violently from unconscious into painful awareness as the spike tore through his already injured abdomen, unable to speak his simply mouth flew open of it's own accord sending a small spray of blood across the room, splatting ungracefully all over Gunderson's face – he closed his eyes tightly, truly terrified.

Some time passed before Gunderson found he could open his eyes, looking up to survey the carnage before him.

Blood streamed steadily from the victims of the ritual, cascading down their shocked bodies and into gutter-like tubes running from the niches – it flowed in mini rivulets along the floor and down into a damaged stone grate to the left of Gunderson's booted feet.

It fell down some distance, a sickening wet sound of it connecting with presumably more blood or liquid below arising loudly from the well.

Gunderson looked up, the green flame enveloping the two still bodies fading and with a heavy grind that sent clouds of dust into the air the ancient door screeched open to reveal a dark entryway.

Karel lowered his gloved hands, dusting them off and turning to a grim-faced Gunderson.

"What now, Master?" Gunderson asked as calmly as he could, hard eyes staring ahead into the whistling gloom ahead – Karel placed his hands behind his back, turned around and briskly walked towards the niche Kurtis was slumped in.

"Now? Now, Marten, you die."

The next few seconds were a blur as, not of his own accord, Gunderson was unwillingly forced to unsheathe the combat knife tucked into his boot, swivel it around and stab himself in the throat – with a pained gargle he fell to the floor in a heap.

Karel gave a brief glance over his shoulder at this before sliding Kurtis' body off of the spike unceremoniously and throwing him over his shoulder, with one last brief glance at Gunderson's bulky, twitching form he carried him off beyond the darkness of the open doorway to the Nephilic city.

Lara hit the water hard, in the rush of her hasty escape she hadn't had time to gather a decent breath mid-fall, she pumped her arms viciously against the viscous flow and surfaced with a gasp, sucking in as much air as she could. Finding her footing on some nearby rocks she opened her eyes to the nothingness, total darkness, vague flashes of light bouncing off of some nearby wet rocks from the opening she'd fell from.

Unexpectedly the area was illuminated by turquoise light, instinctively Lara looked down at her chest and affirmed that her amulet was once again giving off it's mysterious glow – she surveyed the area she'd fell into with a squint.

It was all she could do not to scream, she looked down at what she'd assumed was water and was faced with her shimmering reflection staring back from a river of thick, flowing blood – the tight, cramped walls a mixture of ageing rock and skeletal remains protruding from them.

"What the hell is this place?" Lara whispered to herself, her voice chasing itself down the length of the tight canal along with the sound of the flowing life fluid and away into the unknown.

Lara gasped as from the cylindrical hole she'd fell from suddenly spewed two consistent flows of blood from each side, she flattened herself against the wall at her back, pushing away from the repulsive sight. Speech was audible from back in the cavern but due to the distance it was muted and distorted, she tried to listen none-the-less but made out none of it – then, there was silence.

After some seconds Lara felt the slightest of rumbles shake the surrounding rocks, the two mini waterfalls of blood dripping from the grate being replaced by falling dust as the screech of heavy stone on stone filled her ears.

"_The door..._"

Without thought, her macabre surroundings no longer relevant, she threw herself from one side of the river to the other, tightly gripping some skeletal remains for support – she grasped the still-glowing amulet with one hand, moving it slowly around as a torch of sorts.

The remains looked human at a glance but the more she inspected them the more she doubted it, she didn't have the mind capacity due to her current situation to access the exact differences but she knew in her gut they were likely to be Nephilic remains – in a wave of dread she looked away from the malformed skull staring back at her without eyes and stared up into the circle of light above her.

Mid-shift of her gaze something caught her eye, scowling she swung the necklace from her hand to her mouth, gripping the light between her teeth and manoeuvring carefully over to what she had saw – a small, flat portion of stone on the canal wall that stood out from the rest of the jagged rock face, in the centre was a partially destroyed inscription in a familiar, ancient language.

She recognised it instantly from Werner's diary, squinting at the intricate text she tried to alphabetise it from the many Nephilic texts she had seen over the previous week's hardship – seconds past as he concentrated, the noise of the blood flowing below her lost to her reverie.

_ONLY GOD CAN KILL AN ANGEL_

There, as if from nowhere, the translation appeared in her mind's eye – she blinked a few times, feeling as though the words had in fact turned to English in front of her eyes but she still faced the original archaic etchings.

"Only God can kill an angel..." - she repeated it several times over in her puzzled head, trying to fathom something from it but amidst her scrambled thoughts she couldn't think straight, sighing with confusion she swung herself back over to the opposite wall.

She peered up, it was a 30, maybe 40 foot ascension, luckily the jagged rock face was uneven enough to find foot holes and she could use more of the skeletal remains to boost herself up – it was just a case of precision, she was lucky her original fall hadn't killed her due to the shallowness of the pool she'd fell into. Lowering her brow in concentration she balanced one foot on a flat rock she was perched on and threw herself up, clambering towards the top.

As she ascended in careful leaps her mind thought back to Kurtis, for all she knew he could still be sound asleep in the hotel, she had no idea of the time frame from when she'd been captured to now – she prayed for his safety, perhaps she'd have to face the perils ahead alone.

"Whatever those may be..." she muttered to herself darkly.

It hit Lara then, like a speeding train, she precariously swung from a thick ribcage sticking out from the wall, gripping it tighter before throwing herself to the security of a small ledge on the far side of the well.

This was it.

All the horror and hardship, everything she'd been through from her arrival in Paris to now was about to climax within the next few hours and she had no idea what she was getting herself into or if she'd make it out alive.

Lara was truly amazed she'd made it so far, it had been touch and go for a while, she was a shadow of her former self undoubtedly yet she'd still managed to make it this far, seemingly to the end – what was it all for, how had she survived all this and why?

"_This is merely an appetiser for the perils ahead._"

Lost words from a lost friend echoed in her head.

Lara smiled then, an unusual sort of smile and suddenly it all made some kind of sense.

It wasn't about revenge anymore, it wasn't about closure, it wasn't about Kurtis and it wasn't even about saving the world and prevailing over evil yet again in another of her heroic escapades – it was about herself.

If she failed, she had failed everyone and everything she stood for, everything that existed in the here and now.

If she couldn't survive this nothing else would, it wasn't so much to prove something but to redeem herself, make up for everything she felt she'd done wrong since Egypt,

With that affirmation, more determined than she'd been in a long time, Lara pushed off of the ledge with a mighty jump and with a few more skilful bounds reached the lip of the damaged grate she'd fallen from – with a mighty tug she hauled herself up and over into stance, facing the set of stairs adjacent to the grand doorway.

A strange groan stunned her into action, raising her blood soaked Vectors she turned to the doorway, pointing them in the direction of the offending sound and it's culprit and took in the dark sight before her.

The doors were indeed open, the niches to the left of the door housing the Doppelgänger, propped up by a large spike impaled through her gut, her black blood staining the stones below her – she followed this path of gore onto the floor, the gutters she had seen running across the floor ran blood like an architectural vein and down into the grate she'd fallen from, the corresponding niches was similarly horrific, spike drawn, yet nobody seemed to be hung from it.

Lara's memory was unwillingly thrust back to Egypt, when she'd first acquired the Amulet of Horus from Set's tomb, a tomb he refused to stay dead in, blood had similarly seeped from his stunning sarcophagus and ran along the ancient floor in stone gutters – the set up in the Nephilic chamber was hauntingly similar, she shuddered.

Caught up in the madness ahead she had barely registered the repeated dull groan that had first caused her to turn, she gasped slightly and aimed her pistols in it's direction, to the bulky frame lay in a pool of blood just to her right, she hadn't noticed it at all when she first surveyed the room.

Cautiously Lara stalked across the room towards it, blood from the subterranean canal dripping from her clothes and pistols and staining the sand underneath, when she reached it she softly kicked the body over to face it up towards her.

Gunderson met her gaze with a wet wheeze, his eyes rolling against his porcelain features, fingers delicately draped around the hilt of a combat knife wedged deep into his strong throat.

Sensing no threat Lara holstered her weapons and knelt at his side, her gloved hands resting on his barely moving chest, a flicker of sympathy flashing across her own crimson stained features.

"What happened, Gunderson?" she whispered, unable to grasp the severity of the entire room.

His hand fell from the handle of the blade and grasped her own fingers delicately, with what strength he had left, he wasn't long for this world at all.

"I'm...I'm sorry, _frualine_ Croft, f-for what it's worth." he whispered to her, his words muted by a gargle of blood in his destroyed throat.

Lara bit her lip, in her books an enemy was an enemy regardless, especially due to his involvement in everything she'd been through – still, in his state, she couldn't help but sympathise and softly nodded her acceptance of his fading apology, gripping his large hand a little tighter.

"I should've sensed hisbetrayal a long, l-long time ago...I was a fool not to. Joachim tried to kill me, used his puppet over there and...and..."

His thick accent struggled to continue speech, he paled by the second below her, she knew there was nothing she could do to aid him.

"...took Trent beyond the door." he managed, his voice barely audible.

Lara closed her eyes, heart frozen, the image of Kurtis' corpse wrapped in chains in her dreams vivid behind her lids, she let out a pained breath of her own and met Gunderson's glazed, dark eyes, he'd seemingly passed in the brief lapse of time.

Face solemn, Lara arose, her hand slipping from Marten's as she turned to face the doorway to the unknown – a strong gust of wind howling through the cavern from the opening and fluttering her stained attire.

"Lara..."

She'd only made it a few steps towards the door when another low, raspy wheeze escaped from the body behind her, she glanced back at his over her shoulder, both of his weak hands now grasped the knife.

"Tell K-Kurtis I am sorry and that...that he was a true c-comrade."

Lara went to respond when with one final burst of energy Gunderson ripped the blade out from his neck, the open wound spewing a fountain of blood into the air, as his life dwindled he haphazardly chucked the blade across the room, it landed with a muted clunk into the dust at her booted feet – she threw her hand over her mouth in horror, turning away from the disturbing image as with one long exhalation Marten Gunderson died.

Lara couldn't bring herself to look back at him, death was nothing knew to her but the severity in which she'd dealt with it since Werner back in Paris was too much, she couldn't handle another familiar corpse.

Fixated, she couldn't remove her gaze from the offending blade lay at her feet, staining the dust under her soles red, swiftly she lowered her arm to grasp it, turning it over in her gloved hands, the moisture of his life fluid seeping through onto her skin.

Turning slowly back to the door she wedge the knife into her waistband, murder stained hands falling limply to her hips as she slowly raised her pistols once more, their comforting weight in her hands familiar and almost soothing.

A true cocktail of emotion surged through her veins; fear, anger, uncertainty, worry...

Lara's eyes unwillingly glanced towards the right niche, a torn piece of fabric glued with blood to the spike within it, a remnant of Kurtis' shirt.

...love.

Unsure and terrified, a growl etched on her haunted, beautiful features she stormed without thought out of the horrific temple chamber and through the doors, out of the tombs and into hell.


End file.
